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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026927776
THE STORY OF AHIKAR
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
JLonlon: FETTER LANE, E.G.
C. F. CLAY, Manager
BY
SECOND EDITION
ENLARGED AND CORRECTED
Cambridge
at the University '
Press
'
V . I V
^9^3 ft, ^Y
(CatnbrtogB:
PBINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVEKSITY PEEBS
PKEFACE
THE story which is here rescued from the Arabian Nights and,
with some diffidence, restored to the Biblical Apocrypha,
occurs in such various forms and in so many languages that there
are few scholars who could edit it single-handed, and I suspect
that not many critics will see their way at once through the
diverse transmission of the legend to its primitive verity.
In the present edition I have had the assistance of my friends
Mrs Lewis and Mr Conybeare in dealing with the linguistic
problems ; and I am also much indebted to my friend Mr Kennett
for his kindness in reading and revising the Syriac sheets.
Without their aid, the attempt to edit Ahikar would have been
inadequate. As it is, I hope we have been able to clear up
some of the difficulties in the text, and to pave the way for its
J. RENDEL HARRIS
THE was
first edition
Ahikar was again brought
nearly exhausted,
into prominence
when the story of
by the discovery
of a series of papyrus fragments from the island of Elephantine,
dating from the fifth century before Christ. A new edition of
Slavonic Translation 1
Armenian Translation .
24
Syeiac Translation 99
Arabic Text I
THE 8T0EY OF AHIKAB AND HIS
NEPHEW NADAN
INTEODUCTION
(By J. RENDEL HARRIS)
CHAPTER I
due, and that the nucleus of the tale, at all events, was Biblical or
semi-Biblical in character, however wide the gulf might at first
the
But, before plunging into readings and recensions, into
criticism of texts and the discrimination of sources, let us briefly
had acquired, and the wisdom which he had attained, could not be
perpetuated in a son born of his own body nor did his prayers to ;
'
The boy Sudhana was handed over to eight nurses, two to carry him, two to
suckle him, two to cleanse him, and two to play with him. As these eight nurses
fed him and brought him up on milk, both sweet and curdled, on butter, both fresh
and clarified, on butter-foam (Butter-Schaum) and on the best of other things, he
shot up rapidly like a lotus in a tank.
By the time he was grown up he was acquainted with reading and writing &c.'
p. 257. Story of Visvantara.
'To the boy Visvantara were given eight nurses, two for carrying, two for
suckling, two for cleansing and two for playing, who fed him on milk, curdled milk,
butter, melted butter, butter-foam, and divers other excellent kinds of nutriment,
so that he grew rapidly like a lotus in a pool. When he had grown up and learnt
writing, counting, and hand-reckoning &o.'
p. 273. Story of the Fulfilled Prophecy.
'Let him be named Siiryanemi. When he had received that name, he was
entrusted to eight nurses, two for carrying, two for suckling, two for cleansing, and
two for playing. These eight nurses nourished him with milk, curdled milk, butter,
melted butter, butter-foam, and other excellent kinds of food, and he grew apace
INTRODUCTION ix
and then betrayed his uncle to the king. When the unfortunate
victim of this intrigue is brought before the king, he is unable,
through fear and surprise, to utter a word in his own defence, and
as he who does not excuse himself, accuses himself more effectively
than his slanderers, he is promptly ordered to be done to death.
entrusted to eight nurses, two to carry him, two to suckle him, two to cleanse him
and two to play with him. These nurses brought him up on various milk products
and other excellent forms of nourishment, so that he shot up Ijkea lotus in a pool.']
L. A. b
X INTRODUCTION
As the people of our country are slow-witted, unintelligent and stupid, may it
please the king to send an ell of that kind of rope as a pattern, like unto which
we will twine a hundred, nay, a thousand ells, and will send them to him "...The
king was astonished.'
INTRODUCTION XI
grown like eagle's talons and hair like the shaggy fells of beasts, is
dinner, and at night that they might cease from work. And this
legend, which may be found elsewhere in Syriac, underlies the
question in the story of '
the Linguist Dame.' So that we need
not be surprised that Biblical and Patristic learning should be
elucidatory of obscurities in the Arabian Nights, nor that a
converse statement should be possible. It is, however, a very
little step indeed, to show that the two literatures are mutually
explanatory: and wha't we have proposed is the much more
startling thesis that a curious story in the Arabian Nights belongs
to the fringe and penumbra of the Biblical Literature itself.
Those who were the first students of the book had observed
the Biblical colouring of the story. Thus Salhani, who was the
publisher of the Arabic text remarks :
'
on y reconnait le style
inspired' : p. 9,
'
The simplicity of the old Assyrian correspondence
XIV INTRODUCTION
that 'Bel may here represent Hobal, the biggest idol in the
Meecan Pantheon, which used to be borne on raids and ex-
peditions to give plunder a religious significance.' This is
going out into the wilderness with a vengeance Were the gods
!
that the Syrians of Athor (the Ancient Assyria) made use of the
book of Tobit in one of the recensions in which this book has
come down to us\
If Hofifmann's view had been correct, I suppose we should
have been obliged to say that the story of Ahikar was written
(in part, at all events) to explain certain allusions in the book
of Tobit. These are certainly puzzling enough to the modern
reader, who does not see why the dying Tobit should mingle
with his last commissions and instructions a reference to the
ill-treatment of Ahikar by his adopted son : and what the modern
reader feels, is reflected in the manner in which the scribes of
the Tobit legend have striven to mend the passages in question
by inserting better known and, as they supposed, more appropriate
names.
For, to take the leading passage referred to, viz. Tob. xiv. 10,
to know, not whether any one has been explaining obscure pas-
sages in Tobit, so much as the reason why those passages are
obscure.
It does not, moreover, seem to have occurred to Hoffmann that
the identification which he made between the characters referred
Tobit, and that the existence of the Syriac and Arabic legends
of Ahikar involved the acquaintance of the East Syrians with
the Old Testament Apocrypha. For example, Tobit might be
dependent upon Ahikar, or both of them upon a third document
which has disappeared. If the supposition of Hoffmann were
correct, then the story of Ahikar would be an apocryphoii of the
second order, written, in part, to explain obscure allusions in an
earlier apocryphon. Its relation to Tobit would then be something
like the supplementary position which it occupies in the Arabian
Nights; it would be an antilegomenon in two collections. But
if Tobit were the later of the two compositions, then Ahikar
takes its place amongst the Old Testament Apocrypha by right
of the firstborn ; and the elder ceases to serve the younger. It is
remarkable legend.
It had already been pointed out by J. S. Assemani in his
INTRODUCTION xvii
base) and the Slavonic (as it had come down from a Greek base).
So that the argument for a Greek original could be maintained
from the Aesop legends plus the Slavonic version, as against
the theory of a Semitic original, based on the Arabian Nights
plus such Syriac and other Oriental versions as might be re-
covered.
Nor was the diffusion of the legend of Ahikar exhausted even
by this statement, for there were parallels and allusions in
1 B. 0. it. 508. Cod. 40, in indioe codd. Arab., continet Hioari Philosophi
Mosulani praeoepta. IMomlani is the Arabic translation of the Syriac for
Ninevite ?]
B. 0. iii. 286. Historia Hioari sapientis et quae ipsi oontigere cum Nadan
sororis suae filio et cum rege Aegypti. [Cod. Arab. 55.] De Hicaro eadem fere
narrantur quae de Aesopo Phryge. Ejusdem Hioari, qui PhilosopLus Mosulanus
appellatur, praeoepta Arabice extant Cod. 40.
2 Bymntinische Zeitschrift, Vol. i. Pt. 1, 1892,
L. A.
e
xviii INTRODUCTION
book of Tobit.
In 1894 there appeared, in response to Kuhn's appeal, a new
and remarkably fresh and exhaustive treatment of the whole
subject by Meissner, entitled Quellenuntersuchungen zur Haikar-
geschichte, inwhich the question of the relative priority of the
Greek and Semitic legends was re-examined and an abundance
of fresh material relating thereto was brought forwards
We shall see presently that Meissner, in spite of the valuable
century B.C. Meissner does not think the story of Ahikar was
current much earlier. In any case it was committed to writing in
Greek. And at the time when this was done, Hebrew was already
an ecclesiastical language, not understood of the people. And this
fact, together with the non-religious character of the story, renders
it certain that the book was never received into the Apocryphal
books, so that it passed into an undeserved obscurity.
Such were Meissner's conclusions. They were promptly
challenged by Lidzbarski\ who suggested as a more probable
alternative that the Syriac legends were a translation of a hook
already existing before the days of Tobit and employed by the
writer of that apocryphal story; and Lidzbarski thought it was
more likely that the primitive legend was written in Hebrew than
in Greek. We shall see presently that this is the true solution.
Lidzbarski followed up his criticism by publishing in 1896 a
complete translation^ of the Arabic version of the story, and this
antiquity. '
This romance,' said he, '
is clearly older than Tobit,'
Luke xii. 45] has borrowed a trait or two from it.' We shall see
that its influence upon the New Testament is even stronger than
Dr James had imagined'.
Last of all, a discussion of the legend, with a fresh translation
froin the Syriac, was given by Dr E. J. Dillon, in the Contemporary
Review for March 1898. Dr Dillon does not discuss the question
1 Lidzbarski's tract will be found in Z. D. M. G. vol. 48, pp. 671-675. Zum
weisen Achikar.
2 Lidzbarski, Oeschichten und Lieder.
3 Since then Dr James haa treated the story at some length in a communication
to the Guardian (Feb. 2, 1898), in which he discusses some further parallels.
XX INTRODUCTION
Our own studies of Ahikar were publicly announced before the appearance of
'
Dr Dillon's article we should gladly have left the whole field to him, if we had
;
known in advance the labour that he had bestowed on the subject, of which only a
very small part appears in the article in the Contemporary Review. We are indebted
to him for many valuable suggestions.
CHAPTEE II
the story may have passed into India by way of the Old Persian,
in which case it may perhaps be still lurking amongst the Parsee
literature. Benfey went so far as to attempt to connect the story
with the earlier Indian literature and to recognize Ahikar in the
wise Vizier (Jakatala of the Qukapasati legends, but his suggestion
has not been favourably received.
We shall be satisfied if we can find sufficient evidence for an
quires were originally twenty in number, but the first and second
and one leaf of the third have been lost, and their place is taken by
the modern supply ff. 1 — 5. The remaining quires have 10 leaves,
except en [8], -^ [22] and .^ [5]. There is a lacuna after
f. 184. The writing (27 to 30 lines in a page) is a good Nestorian
serta of the year 2009 = a.d. 1697.
This volume contains
1. Histories of saints and other matters chiefly theological.
etc. etc.
(S4, Sb, Sg). These signs refer to three more copies that have
come to our knowledge as being in the possession of the American
Mission at Ooroomiah. All of them are modern transcripts,
but one of them (S4) is said to be made from an exemplar of
an early date.
(3) Aethiopic.
We have not ventured to print the Aethiopic text, but have made
some yse of Cornill's rendering of it.
Ancien Fonds Arm^nien No. 92, on paper. In this MS. only the
last half of Khikar is contained from p. 141 of the printed text to
the end. The scribe has added at the end of it the date 1067 of
the Armenian era = A.D. 1619. The hand is a peculiar one, and
the piece begins on fol. 179.
(Arm4 = Paris Supp. 58). Bibliotheque Nationale, Fonds Arm.
Supplement No. 58. On paper, in notergir or small cursive, ill-
History called the Brazen City. And the instructive and helpful
sayings of the wise man Khikar, with other profitable sayings.
INTRODUCTION XXVll
Printed in the year of our era 1106 (=A.D. 1731) in the press of
the humble Astouatsatour.
The third edition was in 1862 at the press of R. J.
Qurqdshean.
These, then, are the chief authorities for the text and its
Tobit i. 21...
rj^iacrev 'A^id)^apos nepX ip,ov, koi rjkBov inX jraaav ttjv SioiKrjariv. t6t€ T}^ia<Tev
fls yiivevr). 'A)(idxapos 8e rjv 6 olvo)(6os ^Axeixopos irepl e/ioO, kol KaTTfXSov els
KOI CTTl TOV SaKTuXlOU KOl SlOtKI/T^f Kol TTjv NtvEuij. '
V" °
Axflx'^po^ y^P
(KXoyuTTrjs, Kal KariaTrjorfv avTOv 6 dpxioivoxoos Kal enl tov BaKTvXiov Koi
2aXfp^ov6s, vi6s, (K Sevrepas- rjv 8e SioLKrjTrjs KOl exXoynTT^s fnl Sevvaxrj-
pelp^airiKeas* Aao'vplav, Kal KaT4aTT}(r€v
avTbv ^ax^pSovos €K SevTcpas. rjv Sc
c^a8eX(/>os pov Kal eK Trjs trvyyevias
pov.
Kal eVl ^apx^Bovos ^ao'tXeays.*..
c. ii. 10.
Kal eiropevOTjv npos laTpovs, kol ovk Kai eiropevoprjv irpos tovs larpovs ae-
aXJieXritrdv pf 'Axidxapos Be eTpecjjev pairevd^vaiy Kal otra evexplo<rdv pe Ta
pe etas ov €7ropev6ffv els Trjv EXXu/iatSa. t^dppaKa^ TOtTOVTiO pahXov e^eTV(^\ovvTQ
01 6<^&aKpol pov Tols \evKa>paatv pexpi.
TOV d7roTVCJ>\a)0^vat. Kal fjpr}v dBvvaTos
TOis 6(l)6a\pois eTT] reaaepa. Kal TrdvTes
0( d8e\(f)oi pov eXvnovvTO nepl epov, koi
'Axeidxapos CTpecftev pe erq bvo rrpit Tov
avTov ^ablaai els rrjv 'EXvpalSa.
KOl eyeveTO Trdcn toXs ev tiivevi) ev Ttj f)pepa Tavrrj eyevero X'^P'^ nd(Tiv
x^P^
aSeX<f>o'is aiiTov. koi irapeyiveTO 'A;^«i- Tois 'lovhaiois rois ovaiv ev ^ivevfj. Kal
Xapos <al Na(r^ar o e^dbeX<f>os avTOV. irapeyivovTO 'AxeiKap Kal Na/iaS oi e|d-
8eX(jioi aiiTOV x<^lpovTes npos To>/3eiv.
C. XIV. 10.
(fxoTos rjyayev avTOv els to (TKOTOS koi (S)V KaTYjvex^r) elsTrjv yrjv ; Kal aTreSaKev
oaa dvTanehcoKev avTm- Kal'Axtdxapov 6 6e6s Trjv driplav Kara. Trpoa-coTTOv avTov •
pev ea-aa-ev, eKelvco be to dvraTroSopa Kal e^jjXdev els to (^Sis ^AxiKapos, Kal
direSodri, Kal avTos KOTe^r) els to (tkotos. Na8aj3 elo'ijXdev els to (tkotos tov alStvos
Mavaa-a-rjs eiroirjo-ev eXeripo<Tvvr)v , Kal 0T» e^JjTrjaev dnoKTeivai 'AxeUapov. ev
avTm, 'A8dp 8e eveirea-ev els Ttjv irayiBa TYjs Trayldos tov Qavdrov fjv eirrj^ev avTa
Kal aTTtoXero. NaSa/3, Kal NaSa/S eirea-ev elsT^v irayiha
TOV BaifaTov Kal dwoiXeo'ev avTov.
XXX INTRODUCTION
c. xiv. 15.
Km^Kova-ep wplv Pj anoBaveiv airov Koi cl8ev Kal ^kovctcv npo ToO djro-
Ti,v inaViav ^^ivevfi fjv ^xH-aXSna-iv Bavi'iv airhv -njv dnaXiav J^ivevr), Km
"^fv rijv alxiioKaxriav oAt^s iyo^ivriv
Na/3o«xoSovo(rAp Ka\ 'AtnJrjpos-
els MriSeiav ^v ^'x/^aXaTKrei' 'AxiaKapos
6 ^aa-iXeiis TfjS MriSias.
' From this Meisscer conjectures that the Chaldee of which Jerome speaks was
the Peshito.
^ [The name in question has now turned up, and our spelling is justified. The
following note by C. J.Ball in the Expository Times for July 1908, p. 473 will put
the matter clearly. ' An old Babylonian tablet in the Library of St John's College,
Oxford, sets at rest the question of the origin of the curious name Achicarus (Tob.
i. 21 etc.). Here we find among the witnesses to a deed of sale, executed in the
reign of Apel Sin, the fourth king of the First Dynasty (eirc. 2100 B.C.) a certain
Aclm-waqar (A-chu-wa-qar) the hamarum (perhaps priest, cf. Heb. DnD3 Zeph.l. 4).
This confirms tlie Ip'nX of the Hebrew and Aramaic versions of Tobit, and proves
that the name is not Persian, but pure Semitic. Other tablets in the same collection
give us Aham-waqar Ili-waqar,']
INTKODUCTION XXXI
which form has the priority in a case where the modifications are
mere phonetic variations. As for the versions of Tobit, they show
the same variants, pliis an occasional independent variation in the
transcription. The Old Latin has Nahal and Nabad and the
Vulgate the equivalent Nabath. The Peshito reads '1^'fc and
^a\ which are Syriac blunders Nadab and Nadan. The
for
But in the Vatican Tobit, we are first told that Ahikar is the
son of Tobit's brother, then that he is his e'faSeX^os; then that
Nasbas (Nadab ?) is ef aSeX^o? to Ahikar, and finally that Ahikar
is Nadab's foster-father. We thus have, if we may strain the
Anael "robit
I
Ahikar Sister
Nadab
The Sinaitic text of Tob. xi. 18, on the other hand, supported
by the Vulgate (Achior et Nabath consobrini Tobiae), will have it
that both Ahikar and Nadab are i^dhe\<\>oi, to Tobit, but this
INTRODUCTION
And at the close of the story (c. xiv. 15) we are informed that
Tobias the son of Tobit lived to see the desolation of Nineveh by
Nebuchadnezzar and Ahasuerus. Such is the story as told in the
Vatican text ; it is much confused both in the conception and in the
transcription.
Enemessar is certainly Shalmaneser IV., who came up against
Samaria in the 7th year of Hoshea king of Israel.
> Which should probably be corrected to 6 '2,axepS6vo$ ui6s, iK devr^pas, i.e. the son
of Xax^pSCiv appointed him the secoud time.
INTRODUCTION XXxiii
Sargon 722—705
Sennacherib 705—681
Esarhaddon 681—668
Assurbanipal 668—626,
to which must be added that the fall of Nineveh to which Tobit
refers is assigned to the year 606. This last event is regarded as
due to the action of Nebuchadnezzar and Ahasuerus ; from which
we may identify Ahasuerus with Cyaxares, king of Media, and
where we must substitute for Nebuchadnezzar his father Nabo-
polassar, unless we prefer to argue that one of the two kings of
Babylon was general for the other, in which case Tobit's statement
might pass muster : for the fall of Nineveh was due to a combined
attack of Medes and Babylonians.
As the book assigns an age of 158 years to Tobias and 107 to
his father .Tobit, the period of history referred to would be fairly
Nadan, (vi) the names of two boys who are trained to ride on
eagles and build a castle in the air, (vii) the name of the criminal
substituted for Ahikar at the time of execution.
(i) In the latter part of the story of Ahikar, the sixty wives
of the opening sentences are reduced to a single dominant figure
of a very clever woman, who shares her husband's counsels and
assists his schemes. We are inclined to think that she does not
belong to the original draft of the story. She is called in Syriac
'
Abusmaq, my comrade.' In Slavonic he is simply 'my friend,'
(vi) The two boys who are trained to ride on eagles and
and Tabshalom ; other copies omit them. The Syriac (S2) has
Ubael and Tabshalam. In the Armenian they are absent and
so in the Slavonic. Of these names the first seems to be
added on the hypothesis that it is one of the flying boys that
is set to watch Nadan. The second name is also suspect, as
fire, and casts incense thereon and presents offerings and sacrifices
'
O my lords, Belshim and Shimel and Shamin, command
and give me male seed.'
confirmed in the contemporary petition from Elephantine, sent by Jedoniah and his
companions to Bagoas the Persian governor.]
INTRODUCTION XXXIX
composition that the worship of Bel and Nebo had not been
wholly expelled from Edessa by Christianity ^-
Still, on the whole, there are allusions in the story of Ahikar
to Assyrian deities, which seem to have an early form and to
betray a close acquaintance with Ninevite worship. The diffi-
(a)
Syriac. Arabic. Armenian.
1 The New Testament, also, has an allusion to Nebo in the name of Barnabas,
and makes a spiritual translation of the name to suit the new faith.
[The references to Bel and Nebo in the Doctrine of Addai can be paralleled from
the Acts of Sharbil All the gods were brought together and decorated and set up
: '
in honour, both Nebo and Bel, together with their companions.' The very name
of Sharbil encloses that of the deity, just as the name of Barnabas does.]
xl INTEODUCTION
restore the name of Bel in two places in the Armenian, and this
would also have the effect of restoring it in the Syriac and Arabic
parallels. The story would, then, be definitely polytheistic, not
only in the Egyptian episode, but from the very commencement
and we should have a better reason for the non-canonisation of
the story than the imperfection of its ethics. But even if, as
seems probable, Belshim be allowed to stand in the second passage
of the Armenian, and be equated with the god of heaven,' there
'
L. A. /
xlii INTEODUCTION
1 I see that my suggestion has been in part anticipated by Cobet, who proposes
to replace ijBiKois by ISLovu
2 Lib. X. u. 4.
INTEODUGTION xliii
But the error in this case lies in the other direction, viz. in
taking Democritus too seriously. Of the writings which circulate
under his name, and of the sayings ascribed to him, many are
falsely inscribed. It was easy to refer ethical precepts to the
greatest of the Greek ethical teachers. We must not assume
that, because. Clement of Alexandria assigns a work to Demo-
critus, he was necessarily responsible for it. All that we are
1 Lib. V. c. 50.
^ It will be objected (a) that Boo-n-opanh is not «. proper description for Ahikar
(6) that there no mention of any pillar upon which his sayings were inscribed, in
is
any of the versions that have come to light. The force of these objections may
be 'diminished by remarking, (a) that Boairopavois is probably corrupt, (6) that
although there is no mention of any pillar in the eastern forms of the story, the
Aesop legends represent king Lykeros as ordering a golden statue to be erected to
Aesop, and they also say that after Aesop had been killed by the Delphians, the
-oracle required them to propitiate the gods by setting up a pillar to his memory
(ffTiJX?;!' AvicTTTiffaii) .
collections of
entitled to say is that certain works, especially
gnomic sayings, passed under his name. Clement, indeed, may
passages taken
affirm that amongst these sayings are certain
by Democritus from the column of Ahikar, but that is merely
1 e.g. Cornill's Boole of the Wise Philosophers from the Aethiopic contains an
unknown Greek (?) proverb, which in his Frankfort Codex is ascribed to Socrates,
but in the Tubingen copy to Demokrates : see Cornill, p. 34.
INTRODUCTION xlv
Nadan, which the reader will find printed below : they agree
closely with those in the edited stories and may all be accepted as
belonging to the ethics of Ahikar.
The second of these sayings will be found ascribed to De-
mocrates in Shahrestani'.
The thirteenth of the sayings runs as follows :
'
It is better to
stumble with the foot, than with the tongue; and do not utter
any discourse with thy tongue before thou hast taken counsel
with thyself.' The first half of the saying is ascribed to Socrates
in the collections of Maximus^
It is not improbable that the saying has found way into
its
together.
Origen, also, seems to have, known something about Ahikar,
though we are not able to affirm that his allusions go beyond the
references in Tobit. In his famous letter to Africanus, on the
question of the canonicity of the story of Susanna, in reply to
critical objections made by Africanus, he urges that the captive
Jews may really have become wealthy and influential, as they are
represented to be in Susanna, for we have the parallel cases of
Tobit and Achiacar. Here he seems to be referring to the book
of Tobit. The question, however, will arise, whether in the context
he betrays any knowledge of Ahikar outside the book of Tobit ?
Duo sunt Nadab, unus est Nadab filius Aaron, alius Nadab
Tubia qui vivum obruit Achia Caroneum qui se nutrierat.
due to Studemund. See Jahrbuch des Kaiserl. Deutschen Archdol. Instituts, Bd. v.
1890, pp. 1—5. See also B. Lewis' paper on the Mosaic of Monnus, p. 12, § v.]
This is the first ms. I have ever seen of Armenian written Syriac^.
''
CHAPTER V
Ahikar was known to the author of Tobit, and the only question
is whether this legend was in its written form or in a traditional
and oral dress.
model.
Does the placing of the two stories side by side justify us in
believing that one of them was the model of the other, and that
they are almost a pair of companion pictures ?
'
All the days do thou remember the Lord our God ; and
transgress not His commandments
and it ends c. v. 19,
' In the Armenian the iujanction is at the end of the ethical tract as it is in
Tobit, and runs thus :
'
Son, receive into thy mind my precepts, and forget them not.'
In the Arabic it stands at the head of the section, as in the Syriac given
above
'
my son, hear my speech and follow my advice and remember what I say.
^ A number of authorities for the text of Tobit have the advice in the form
'Pour out thy bread and thy wine,' which is perhaps an attempt to correct the
incongruity in the language of Tobit. Ball suggests an original Hebrew, ' Portion
out [which might be misread pour out) thy bread and thy wine in the midst of the
righteous ' ; which restoration is condemned by the parallel in Ahikar.
' The Armenian drops the reference to the ' graves of the just, ' but the Syriao
and Arabic texts support it, and it must certainly be retained.
L. A. g
1 INTRODUCTION
In the last words of Tobit, we find him telling his son that
Tob. xiv. 10. 'Nadan went down into darkness. Manasses
[1. Ahikar] did alms and was saved from the snare of death
which Nadan laid for him. Nadan, however, fell into the
precept
Tob. iv. 10. '
Alms doth deliver from death, and will not suffer
generalised in Siraoh xxix. 12, 'Alms... shall deliver thee from all affliction.'
INTRODUCTIOlir li
projected back upon the earlier story, and the doctrine of charity
has been made the link between the two compositions. Such
literary artifices are common enough and would suffice to explain
' [Ahikar must be older than Tobit and Daniel, if we may judge from the
Elephantine papyrus.]
lii INTRODUCTION
gift' iv. 11 'It is better to give alms than to lay up gold' xii. 8
;
The parallel between alms doth deliver from death and God
'
'
'
between the two stories, we might draw attention to the fact that
each of the two tales is an autobiography. '
I Tobit ' is the
nucleus of one tale, '
I Ahikar ' of the other. Some of the forms
1 At the same time I am not quite easy on the point. May not Ahikar have
taken a long journey, which may have been the first occasion on which Nadan
began to misbehave and to beat the men and the maids ? It will be noted that the
Gospel, in a passage certainly inspired from the story of Ahikar, prefaces the
beating of men and maids by a statement of the absence of the lord of the house
on a journey and the assumption on the part of the wicked servant that his master
delays his return. If such an incident once formed a part of the earlier sections in
Ahikar, we might agree with Tobit in sending Ahikar to Elymais, and find one
more phrase caught up from the legend in the Gospel. But here, perhaps, we are
in the region of pure speculation. So, for the present, let Dr Dillon's ingenious
explanation hold the field.
[The foregoing criticism has largely been justified by the discovery of the papyrus
fragments from Elephantine, to which we give special attention later on. Certainly
the discovery of an Aramaic story of Ahikar in the fifth century before Christ
reverses entirely the judgment of those critics who laboured so hard to prove that
Ahikar was a late composition, inferior in date to Tobit.]
CHAPTER VI
the second century B.C. and have been rewarded with documentary
evidence of the fifth century !] What books would most likely
have influenced a legend produced at such a time and in such
a quarter ? If we may judge from the case of Tobit the answer
would be readily given; for Tobit is under the influence of the
prophets. Amongst his references to them will be found direct
quotations from Amos, a direct allusion to Jonah's prophecy over
Nineveh, and some passages on the future splendour of Jerusalem
which go back to Isaiah. It is curious to remark that in Ahikar
the coincidences are chiefly with the Wisdom books ; the general
resemblance between the ethics of Ahikar and Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
and Sirach has been observed by earlier students. The form into
which the ethical precepts are cast, each sentence of the teaching
beginning with a reKvov fxov, is the same as is found in Sirach, and
in the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. It is the old-world way
Ivi INTRODUCTION
Tobit, to the effect that alms delivers firom death and darkness,
and these terms refer to the experience of Ahikar.
More striking still is Sir. xxii. 14, 15, What is heavier than '
lead, and what is the name thereof, but a fool ? Sand and salt
and a mass of iron is easier to bear, than a man without under-
standingl' This finds a parallel in Prov. xxvii. 3, ' A stone is heavy
and sand weighty : but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.'
But a much nearer parallel is found in Ahikar, who tells us, '
My
son, I have carried salt and have removed lead ; and I have not
seen anything heavier than that a manshould pay a debt that he
did not borrow. My son, I have carried iron and have removed
stones, and they were not so burdensome to me as a man who sits
and it was not more bitter than poverty. I have lifted salt and I
have lifted lead, and it was not heavier than is debt. I have
lifted iron and I have lifted stones upon my shoulders, and it was
1 [The parallels between Ahikar and Sirach will be found collected in Nau's
edition.]
2 [As this saying is in the papyrus, in a closely-related form, we need not doubt
that it is a part of the original, and that Sirach has taken it from Ahikar.]
INTRODUCTION Ivii
better for me than to dwell with the ignorant and the foolish.'
and the only question will be which of the two, Sirach and
Ahikar, has influenced the other. Perhaps it will be better to
leave the question open, until we have more light on the first
but they are exceeding wise, &c.' Compare with this the follow-
1 The exchange of myrrh and gall can be illustrated from the Gospels.
L. A. h
Iviii INTEODUCTION
The king's sons are named, they are Houday and Baliayn, and
here we are able to throw light upon the mysterious Ithiel and
Ucal, who are spoken of in Prov. xxx., to whom Agur addressed
his epigrams. Evidently they are two inquisitive young gentle-
men, who serve to bring out the wisdom of the sage and are
probably a king's sons. Viewed in this light, we can get rid of
some of the perplexities which ancient and modern translators and
commentators have found in the passage. Agur himself is a kind
of double of Ahikar, and the compositions referred to may be
classed together. It seems likely, then, that the extant versions
of Ahikar present us with fragments from more extended col-
^ Jerome takes Agurto be the equivalent of compiler, and renders the word
'Congregans.' we could only be sure that he was right, we could use the
If
interpretation of Hebrew names, which makes the same translation for Asaph.
We should then be able to connect Agur and Asaph together, as we shall
presently be obliged to do with Ahikar and Asaph. But this is again mere specu-
lation.
iNTEODtrCTION Ik
say the 141st, and read it in the light of the recovered legend.
sayers '
that he will have no child. Something of the same kind
occurs in the Arabic text, when the king of Egypt sends his
threatening letter to the king of Assyria, and the latter gathers
together his '
nobles, philosophers, and wise men, and astrologers.'
The Slavonic drops all this and says, 'It was revealed to me by
God, no child will be bom of thee.' '
He caused all the wise men
to be gathered together.' In the Armenian it is, 'there was a
voice from the gods '
;
'
he sent and mustered the satraps.' The
language, however, in the Arabic recalls certain expressions in
Daniel : e.g.
the air! The gods themselves cannot do this, let alone men!'
We naturally compare the reply of the consulted Chaldeans in
Daniel ii. 11, 'There is no one who can answer the matter before
the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.'
book of Daniel:
Accordingly Sayce says', Besides the proper names [in Daniel]
'
there is another note of late date. " The Chaldeans " are coupled
But its application in the earlier books of the Bible is well known.
It denoted the Semitic Babylonians After the fall of the Baby-
lonian empire the word Chaldean gradually assumed a new meaning
. . .it became the equivalent of " sorcerer " and magician.. . . In the
eyes of the Assyriologist the use of the word Kasdim in the book
of Daniel would alone be sufficient to indicate the date of the
work with unerring certainty.'
not the Parable that has borrowed, but the Parabolizer; and a
new volume has accordingly been added to our Lord's library.
Moreover it is not a question of a trait or two. The whole idea
of the parable of the bad servant whose master unexpectedly
returns is borrowed from the legend of Ahikar, just as truly as the
sign of the prophet Jonah is appropriated in another oracular
passage. We might almost head the parable to which reference
has been made with the words, 'The sign of the sage Ahikar.'
The coincidences, then, which have been noted by Dr James are
of the highest value.
which the parable speaks has its exact parallel in the account
of Nadan's. gathering worthless fellows together, who begin to
eat and drink and dance and sing. So we need have no hesi-
'Eav 5e ftTT/ 6 KaKos 8ov\os eKctvos 'Eav Se ^"tttj 6 8oiiXos eKeivos iv ttj
€V TTj KOpdia avTov, 'K.povL^ei fiov 6 Kap^la avTov^ 'X.povi^et 6 Kvptos pov
Kvpios, KUL ap^TjTai TVTTTecv Tovs avvdov- epx^€(rdatf kol (ip^rjraiTvnreivTovs TralBas
Xous avTov, eirOirj Se Koi nlvj] pfra rS>v (cat ras TratSiV/caf, iaBUiv re koi nlveiv
peOvovTav, y}^ft o Kvptos rov dovXov Koi p.edvo'Kea'daij rj^ei 6 Kvpcos tov
€K€ivov ev rjpepa fi
ov TrpotrSoKa Koi dovXov iKcivov iv TipApa 3 ov irpotrhoKa
€v apa fi
ov yLvcaa-Kii^ kcu 8i)(OToprjo'ei Katip &pa^ ov yivaKrKei,Kaldi^oTopT](T€i,
avTOv Kat TO p4pos avTov pera tSjv avrbv koi to pipos avTov pcTa twv
vwoKpiToiv drjtrei' €K€t carai 6 KXavdpos a7rifTTa>v Grjaei.
,
pansion as the Tobit MSS., and certainly in our Lord's time the
story was not limited in its denouement to the fact that Nadan
was thrown into a dark place and that he subsequently burst
asunder. So that if the first form wanted something in the
shape of future punishment, as distinct from present retribution,
the omission was rapidly repaired. Observe further that the
original story has certainly undergone contraction as well as
expansion; for the versions and later adaptations either modify
or get rid of the objectionable details of Nadan's bursting asunder.
This theatrical proceeding is in itself a mark of early date. It
not many days after : {ry oiKela avvecSijaei old tlvi /3eA,€t 77X17761?
ance with the latter on the part of the former, and we have
1
But in this case the parallel of the snake with Judas is suggested for he says ;
'
There was a great pit in the place where the poison of the snake fell. And Judas
Thomas commanded to fill up that place and make in it houses, as places of
entertainment for strangers.' The language reminds one of Matthew, and the
bursting of the snake of Acts.
2 So Benfey, Kleinere Schriften, p. 191, following Westermann's text.
^
L. A.
Ixvi INTRODUCTION
1 As in the Armenian and Georgian Versions and in the Arm. Comm. of Chry-
sostom (F. [Dr Chase has recently made the interesting suggestion that
G. C).
wjyrivT)s does not mean pronus, but that it is exactly = wprjaffels and is a medical term
INTBODUCTEON Ixvii
we have the same features, and the two accounts become closely
related. Moreover the account in Matthew is seen to be one
more attempt to get rid of the first form of the story, precisely
as in one of the lives of Aesop, in which Ennus is so smitten
by remorse that he hangs himself. The suggestion, therefore, is
offered that the original statement concerning the end of Judas
was to the effect that he swelled up and burst asunder. The
account of his death is an imitation of the death of Nadan.
And certainly the characters in question are sufficiently alike
to provoke a reaction from one story to the other. The in-
Ahikar should furnish the key to the genesis of the Judas legends.
There are several other places in the Gospels where a reference
to expressions in Ahikar has been detected, but they are largely
illusory.For instance, an attempt has been made to connect
A^ikar's parable of the unfruitful tree planted by the water
with the denunciations of John the Baptist ('Every tree that
bringeth not forth good fruit' &c.), or with our Lord's parable
of the barren fig-tree. The latter reference is much nearer to
Ahikar than the former on account of the expressions Its master '
our Lord at the time when the sinful woman anointed him with
costly ointment. For it is said that the reason of the remark
precept 'Let the wise man beat thee with a rod, but let not
the fool [i.e. the sinner] anoint thee with sweet salve.' The
suggestion that Simon the Pharisee had in his mind the precept
of Ahikar is ingenious enough, but it detracts from the natural-
ness of the conversation at the table. To assume an implied
expansion of Simon's remarks by the words 'For it is written,
Let not the fool anoint thee with sweet salve' would indeed
emphasise the respect in which Ahikar's precepts were held, but
it would be at the expense of the simplicity of the story.
A much more likely case of transference will be found in one
of Ahikar's parables which appears to be referred to in 2 Pet.
ii. 22. The following reproach upon Nadan is found in the
Karshuni texts and with some modifications in the Armenian
and in the Syriac.
'My son, thou hast behaved like the swine which went to
the bath with people of quality, and when he came out,
not as '
the sow that was washed,' but as '
the sow that went to
the bath.'
The question will arise whether this parable of Ahikar is to
the poor in his affliction and speak of him in the Sultan's presence
and do one's diligence to save him from the mouth of the lion
Ixx INTRODUCTION
time about it. There is no beating for him, no black hole, and
INTRODUCTION Ixxi
inclusion, if it had been outside the Canon. That is, the Church
would, in either case, have acted irrationally from an impulse
of conservative caution^.
In England, moreover, the Church was not only absurdly
conservative in the matter of the Canon, so as to abandon the
freedom of criticism practised by Luther and Calvin, but it
to bear it.
> [Here again the time-limit for Ahikar must be raised in harmony with freshly
found texts,]
CHAPTER VII
We pass on, in the next place, to point out that the legend
of Ahikar was known to Mohammed, and that he has used it
a great impiety.
my
******
son, verily every matter, whether good or bad, though
it be of the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and be
hidden in a rock, or in the heavens, God will bring the
same to light : for God is clear-sighted and knowing.
my son, be constant at prayer, and command that which
is just, and forbid that which is evil, and be patient under
the afflictions that shall befall thee : for this is a duty
And be moderate
******
absolutely incumbent upon
in thy pace,
all men.
some saying that he was sister's son to Job, and others that he was
nephew to Abraham, and lived until the time of Jonah. Others
have said that he was an African slave. It will not escape the
reader's notice that the term sister's son to Job, to which should
be added nephew of Abraham, is the proper equivalent of the
e^dBe\<po<; by which Nadan and Ahikar are described in the Tobit
legends. Job, moreover, is singularly like. Tobit. That he lived
till the time of Jonah reminds one of the destruction of Nineveh
as described in the book of Tobit, in accordance with Jonah's
prophecy. Fiaally the African slave is singularly like Aesop
(ravTov yap Ato-tBTTo? TfS AlOloiri as Planudes says) who is a
black man and a slave, in the Aesop legends. From all of which
it appears as if the Arabic Commentators were identifying Lokman
with Ahikar on the one hand and with Aesop on the other;
Ixxvi INTRODUCTION
for were it by a loud voice that a house was built, the ass would
build many houses every day.'
Clearly Mohammed has been using Ahikar, and apparently from
memory, unless we like to assume that the passage in the Koran
is the primitive form for Ahikar, rather than the very forcible
INTRODUCTION Ixxvii
Moslem Lokman
doctors decided the question in the negative;
'
God wisdom and eloquence in a high degree, which
received from
some pretend were given him in a vision, on his making choice
of wisdom preferably to the gift of prophecy, either of which was
offered him.' Thus the Moslem verdict was that Lokman was a
sage and not a prophet.
On the other hand it should be noticed that there are reasons
for believing that he was regarded in some circles and probably
from the earliest times as a prophet. The fact of his teaching in
'
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy,'
1
It will be seen that we do not accept the interpretation which makes Agur and
Lemuel inhabitants of a mythical Massa.
2 iii. 478, tr. Pluegel.
INTRODUCTION Ixxix
'
In libro Misbah el-raml leguntur haec
Haec vaticinandi ars in rairaculis numeratur a sex prophetis
peculiariter editis ab Adamo scilicet, Idriso, Locmano,
Yeremya, Shaya, et Daniele.'
If then Lokman does not owe his place in the list to his Biblical
against the eighth year of David in the Latin version, the state-
ment :
equivalent to the Greek Aesop, has here been equated with Asaph ?
p. 228. /tteXa? o9ev koI tov 'ovojjLaTOi eVt^^e" ravrbv yhp A'l-
ffWTTOS Tm AlOiOTTl.
novelist, but there are allusions which betray the use of a model
of composition. To put Ahikar into the form Cyrus was not
1 Cf. Sindban oder die sieben Weisen MeiHer ed. von Fr. Baetbgen.
I
L. A.
Ixxxii INTRODUCTION
of the '
insatiate eye which as long as it sees wealth is so ardent
after it that he regards not God, until in death the earth covers
his eyes.' And amongst the sayings of Ahikar we find one to the
effect that '
the eye of man is as a fountain, and it will never be
satisfied with wealth until it is filled with dust.' Dr Dillon points
out that this is one of the famous sayings of Mohammed, and if
that be so, we have one more ^mi from Ahikar in the Koran.
Cf Sura 102, 'The emulous desire of multiplying [riches and
children] employeth you, until ye visit the graves.'
There is one of the later similitudes of Ahikar which has found
its way into early French poetry. Whether it is a part of the
primitive collection of Ahikar's sayings and doings may be left
Aramaic, and the actual Hebrew text of Sirach has recently come
to light in an unexpected manner.
We can largely clear the ground for the discussion of this
the Greek is, however, not the Greek of Planudes, but a hypo-
thetical Greek which explains the existence of the Slavonic and
is itself lost. Of the Armenian version Mr Conybeare reports
that in the oldest forms of the legend which he has examined
there is a good agreement of the Armenian with the Syriac and
some signs of Greek influence. Apparently the last stage of
the enquiry would be one of priority between an existing Syriac
version and a hypothetical lost Greek text. We are still in the
preliminary stages of such an enquiry, and must express ourselves
INTRODUCTION IxxXV
are
P- rerj»
pronounced the words beginning with the first two letters of the
Ben Sira and his teacher, in which Ben Sira (at an abnormally
early age) is called on to say Aleph Beth, much in the same way
as the boy Jesus is called on in the Apocryphal Gospels. He
replies with pregnant sentences, forming an alphabet of ethics.
and the sentences which follow are rich in advice against the
desolating influence of ornate and guileful woman, much in the
style of Ahikar.
Cf. the following advice, 'absconde (D7j7n) oculos tuos a
muliere formosa, ne forte te capiat rete ejus' with the parallel
sentences in Ahikar, and note how unsuitable they are to a five-
year old child. The alphabet of Ben Sira appears to have used
some earlier collection.
This appears also under the letter 5f where the child replies
'
absconde (tISS) mi fili divitias tuas in vita tua, atque heredibus
tuis ne dederis usque ad diem mortis tuae.' Here we find a
child of tender years addressing his Rab with the introductory
formula that we find in Ahikar ! He must have been borrowing
from some earlier collection of proverbs like that in our legend.
When we come to the letter {^ we find the child repeating
'
Sententiae Morales Ben Syrae...ex Hebraeo iu Latinum per Paulum Fagium,
Jenae, 1542.
Ixxxviii INTRODUCTION
at the end. But this is not all, the word OTIN comes from some
previous document, for we found in our Syriac version when we
were editing this actual introductory clause the words
at this early stage in the study of the book, but it should at least
young lady who is occupied with his ruin, and no doubt was a
fashionable conundrum in the best Arabian society.
One would feel disposed to reject such a story from the
legends of Ahikar, if it were not that in the mss. from which
Lidzbarski edited his translation the question occurs in a very
early form indeed. Here we have a pillar composed of 8736
stones, bound together by 365 bricks, on which are planted 12
L. A. »»
XC INTRODUCTION
of the Nile, are by this time familiar to every one ; and there is
the fifth century. Prof Sachau observes that the names and
titles of persons in the story appear to be Assjrrian, but that the
obscurity of form in which they come to us suggests that the
there, for its absence may only mean the non-recovery of the
papyrus upon which it was written; but so far as it goes, the
evidence is against the belief that the Egyptian incidents are
primitive: we had, in fact, cast doubts upon them before the
papyri came to light.
In the matter of the Proverbs and Parables of Ahikar, the
divergence between the papyrus and the later versions is so great
that we can hardly be sure that we are dealing with the same
collection : the document is so incomplete, and so hard to decipher,
and the coincidences between its text and the later Ahikar texts
are so few, that we are almost disposed to believe we have
stumbled upon another collection of Ahikariana (if I may coin
a word !). On the other hand, if the collection should be diverse,
it is also similar ; it is made up in the same way out of gnomic
advices and allegorical animal-stories, and it may be only the
paucity of our material that is hindering our recognition of the
ancestral sayings and parabolizings which underlie our complete
and later texts.
In the question of historicity, the newly-found document has
something to say for itself It does not, at all events, make the
blunder of inverting the sequence of Ass3Tian kings, and making
Esarhaddon the father of Sennacherib. The earlier the document
is, the less probable would such a blunder be ; and it is natural to
ask, in view of the relative correctness of the author's Assyrian
history as compared with later story-tellers whether it may not be
the case that Ahikar may after all be a historical personage, whose
tragic misfortunes and dramatic recovery may have furnished the
material for later romances. There is no radical impossibility that
a wise vizier may have lived in the times of the Assyrian kingdom,
and have been betrayed by an unwise adopted son. Some things
suggest that he was a teacher of ethics, as ethics were understood
at that day, and that his wise saws and modem instances (modem
'
'
inwhich case those who wish for a more exact scientific discussion
must consult the various editions that are appearing in Germany,
among which the first place may be given to that of Ungnad and
Stark.
CHAPTER X
^21-^^*-
. 1904 {PP-
Ipp. 512—539.
must have been composed in Assyria before the fifth century B.C.
and that consequently M. Renan was right in saying that it was
originally written in Aramaic. Apparently M. Nau had reached
these conclusions before making acquaintance with the Assyrian
papyri, which are described in an appendix to the volume.
This volume of Nau's and the essays by Smend and Vetter are
the chief contributions in recent years to the criticism of Ahikar.
There are, however, one or two other attempts at elucidation, more
or less important, and more or less successful. The problem is
to the subject; the first of these (Revue Biblique, 1899, pp. 53—82)
is entitled La Livre de Tobie et I'Histoire du sage Ahikar, and the
I
Editorial note in Revue Biblique, 1899, p. 50.
C INTRODUCTION
requests, but thou must not ask for a child. Behold, thou hast
a nephew (a sister's son) Anadan, take him instead of a son."
When I perceived the voice of the Lord, I said ;
" Lord my
!"
God
I took my nephew Anadan instead of a son. He was still
very young. I had him brought up at the breast, and fed him
with honey and wine, and I clothed him in silk and purple.
After he had grown up, I instructed him in every kind of wisdom
and learning. Then the King said to me: "0 Akyrios! my
2 THE WISE AKYRIOS
counsellor, when thou shalt die in a good old age, where shall
the King perceived me, he said " Blessed be this day, O Akyrios,
:
I, Akyrios, kept the son with me, and after I had fed him with
good lessons, as with bread and water, I said to him :
afterwards.
3. My son, relate to no one what thou hearest, and reveal to
no one what thou seest. Untie not a bound cord, and tie not
a loosened one.
4. And let this be said to thee, my son : Look not on the
beauty of a woman. Even if thou sacrifice all thy wealth to her,
thou wilt at the last reap reproach and fall into sin.
a sponge.
6. My son, let thine eyes look on the ground and thy voice
be soft. If it were a loud voice alone that decided the event, the
ass could build two houses in a day with his braying.
7. My son, it is better to roll stones with a wise man, than
FROM THE SLAVONIC 3
10. My son, the rich man's son swallowed the serpent. Some
said: "From hunger"; others said: "As medicine
11. My son, when a man distinguishes himself, worry him
not; if a mishap occur to him, rejoice not over it.
12. My son, keep what is thine own; seek not what belongs
to others (or thus : give of what is thine own, but borrow not
from others).
13. My son, venture not on the road with a man who will not
accept advice, and sit not down at the same table with a deceiver.
19. My son, hold thy son with a bridle from his childhood ; if
thou hold him not tight, he will make thee old before thy time.
20. My son, keep not a chattering slave nor a pilfering one
in the house, lest he eat up thy wealth.
1 According to another version : The poor man's son swallowed the serpent,
and people said: "From hunger." The rich man's son swallowed the serpent,
and people said: " As medicine."
4 The Wise akyeios
pented of afterwards.
23. My son, a liar findeth sympathy at first, but at the last
his wealth.
25. My son, draw not on thyself the curse of thy father and
thy mother, or thou wilt not live to have any joy in thine own
children.
26. My son, if fierce anger seize thee, say not a word, lest
another be sent a little while after thee. Let not thy master
say: "Get out of my way," and thou be sad, but: "Come hither
to me," and be glad.
36. My son, if thou hast no bodily hunger, eat not bread, lest
39. My son, if thou receive with good measure, sell not with
scanty measure; say not: "Therein is the gain." That is bad. God,
who knoweth and seeth all, will be angry with thee, and destroy
thy house.
40. My son, swear not in God's name, lest the number of thy
days be made fewer.
41. My son, go to the mourner and comfort him with (thy)
words ; it is worth more than gold and silver.
42. My son, keep thy tongue from evil report and thy bands
from theft.
wert thirsty on a hot day, and didst refresh thyself with cold water.
45. My son, if temptations and afflictions from God befal
thee, be not vexed. It leads to nothing, thou wilt not overcome
thereby, but He will hear thy bad temper and respond to it in
heart; (but) though thou beat a fool with a staff, thou wilt not
bring him to reason.
50. My son, thou mayest send a clever man without in-
51. My son, prove thy friend first with bread and wine, then
may he be admitted to something better.
6 THE WISE AKYRIOS
52. My son, if one bid thee to a feast, appear not at the first
summons ; if he call thee the second time^, thou wilt see that he
esteems thee highly, and thou wilt enter his presence with honour.
53. My son, take no reward (for a right judgment), for a
reward dazzles the eyes of the judge.
54. My son, I have tasted gall and bitterness, and it was not
more bitter than poverty ; salt and lead seem to be lighter.
55. My son, I have lifted iron and stone, and it seemed
to me easier than when a man learned in the law carries on
a suit against his nearest kin.
56. My son, love thy wife with all thy heart, for she is the
the hand than a thousand birds flying about in the air; better
is a hempen robe, that thou hast, than a robe of purple, that
thou hast not.
66. My son, when thou hast bidden a friend to a feast, welcome
him with a cheerful countenance, that he too may return to his
home in a cheerful mood. When thou givest a dinner, appear not
before thy friend with a gloomy face, lest thy banquet become a
disgrace to thee, whilst thou art considered to be no good man.
67. My son, commend not the one man nor condemn the
other, until thou hast proved the matter; let thy judgment be
given only after ripe deliberation.
68. My son, it is better to lie in fever heat than to live with a
wicked wife. Hold no consultations in thy house (i.e. in presence of
the wicked wife) and share not with her the concerns of thy heart.
69. My son, if thou drink wine, speak little.
he betray not thy secret, love him with all thy heart, for he is a
trustworthy friend but if he prattle about thy secret, turn thy
;
back on him.
» THE WISE AKYRIOS
had been better for him to live, and for God to have humbled him,
might have come to thee with a prayer for forgiveness,
so that he
and thou wouldst have granted it, and God would have shown
thee favour for its sake.
81. My son, if thou hast bidden any one to a feast, worry him
not about other matters, lest thou be considered deceitful.
82. My when water runs up-hill, or a bird begins to
son,
while the fool will demand gold from thee for one anointing.
97. '[Let thy first axiom be the fear of God. Then be quick
to obey and circumspect in answering. Be patient in anger.
98. My son Anadan, if thy master say to thee: "Come
near," rejoice not thereat ; and also if he say :
" Get away from
me," be not dejected with grief because of it.
99. My son Anadan, be not a drunkard; better is a lunatic
than a man who is a slave to drink ; for the one raves only when
' The sayings which are enclosed in square brackets appear only in two MSS.
i. A.
^
10 THE WISE AKTRIOS
table, brood not over something evil about him, lest the bread in
thy mouth taste bitter.
even if he talk rubbish. " Be quiet," they say, " for a prince is
speaking." They treat him as a sage for the sake of his riches.
113. My son Anadan, trust not a wicked woman. Honey drops
from her mouth, but afterwards it is bitter and poisonous gall.
to his friend and to his wife. (2) A poor, but proud man. Of
what is he proud ? What does he count on ? (3) A man who
shews his master no respect. If a tom-cat be thy master, thou
hadst better stroke his beard ; for he who holds the head by the
crown, can turn it as he listeth.
117. My son Anadan, what has been unjustly got, will go lightly.
118. My son Anadan, as water dries quickly oflf the earth,
so let not a backbiter remain near thee.
119. My son Anadan, keep thy hands from stealing, thy
mouth from lying and thy body from lewdness ; above all beware
of a married woman.
120. My son Anadan, if thou beg for anything from God,
neglect not to comfort the sorrowing, to clothe the naked, to feed
the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to cheer the unhappy
with good and sweet words. A good word is worth more than
silver or precious gold.
comes into thy hands, be ready on the plain of Egypt, on the 25th
of August. I will deliver up to thee the land of Nineveh with all
its cities, and thou shalt possess it without the smallest sacrifice."
and he waited for the time to put them into the King's hands.
Then he wrote a letter containing the following: "From King
Sinagrip to my counsellor Akyrios. My counsellor, on the day
when thou shalt receive this letter, assemble all my warriors, and
FROM THE SLAVONIC 13
the King :
" Just see ! my father Akyrios has done this ! But do
thou go away and return home. I will go to my father Akyrios,
him and bring him to thee.
frustrate his evil designs, persuade
Then thou wilt pass sentence on him according to his deeds."
The King returned home, but Anadan came to me, saluted me,
and said " My greetings to Akyrios my father. The King sends
:
'
In the Slavonie text the singular is here used, although two letters have been
spoken of above.
14 THE WISE AKYRIOS
thee word :
'
Thou hast won my favour this day, since thou hast
arrayed my generals before me according to my commands and
hast distinguished thyself before the ambassadors of Pharaoh.
But now come to me thyself " And in obedience to these words
I left the army and went with my son to the King. When the
King saw me, he said " Art thou come to me, Akyrios, my :
I sought for a wise inspiration and could find none, and I was in
a great fright.
My son Anadan, whom I had introduced to the King, then
Then
sentence on him according to justice and to his deeds."
said Anadan :
" Akyrios, now my natural father, thy fate has
should be bound, and thy feet laid in fetters ; then thy head shall
be struck off, and carried a hundred ells away from thy body."
When I heard the answer of the King, I fell down before him,
wife : " Come forth to meet me and bring with thee maidens and
FROM THE SLAVONIC 15
the whole retinue ; let them be all dressed in robes of velvet, that
they may weep for me, for I am about to suffer death according
to the King's decree. But first prepare a feast, that when I enter
my house with the men of my escort, I may partake of bread and
wine and then meet my death." My wife did everything, just as
I had commanded her. She came forth to meet me, led me into
the house, and when the table was set before us, the people began
to eat and drink, and they all got drunk and went to sleep one
after the other.
Then I, Akyrios, heaved a sigh from the bottom of my heart,
together for a long time. Remember too, how the King once
delivered thee into my hands to be put to death for a supposed
crime ; but I saved thee and protected thee as an innocent man,
till the guilty one was discovered by the King. Therefore put me
not now to death, when I find myself in the same plight, but be
gracious to me and preserve me as I once did thee. But thou
shalt in no wise be afraid of the King. For there is a man lying
in the prison of the same age as myself, like me in face and well
deserving of death. Take off my clothes and put them on him,
lead him out, strike off his head and put it a hundred ells away
from the body, as the King hath commanded."
When my friend heard these words, he was inconsolable, and
said :
" Terrible is my dread of the King, how can I turn a deaf ear
to his commands ? Yet from love to thee I will do as thou hast said ;
for it is written :
'
Thou shalt give up thy head for thy friend.'
I will keep thee and preserve thee. If the King detect us, I will
perish along with thee." And having thus spoken, he stripped off
as the people came near to me, he struck off the man's head and
carried it a hundred yards away from the body. They did not
know that another person's head had been struck off, and a report
16 THE WISE AKYRIOS
was spread through the whole land of Assyria and Nineveh, that
the minister Akyrios had been killed. Then my friend and my
wife prepared a dwelling for me underground, four ells broad and
four ells deep ; thither they brought me bread and water : and
my friend went forth to informKing Sinagrip that Akyrios was
beheaded, and all the people who heard it wept.
Then King to Anadan " Go home and weep for thy
said the :
servant in prison, for Thy servants put their trust in Thee. Lo,
now is Akyrios buried in the earth and seeth not the light ; but
Thou, Lord my God let Thy glance fall upon Thy servant,
!
lead him up from the deepest of pits and hearken unto his
prayers.'
for me, which shall be neither in heaven nor upon earth ; send me
clever workmen, who will carry this out according to my wish,
" King, thou thyself knowest that in thine own days and in
the days of thy father, Akyrios managed every matter requiring
prudence. Now there is his son Anadan, who has been instructed by
him in all branches of wisdom let him go there." When Anadan
;
become changed under the ground and : my nails were like the claws
of an eagle. When the King perceived me, he burst into tears and
felt ashamed in my presence, and after a little while he said to me
" Akyrios, it is not I who have sinned against thee, but thy son
Anadan." And I said :
" my lord ! thou hast found out for thy-
L. A, c
18 THE WISE AKYEIOS
of Assyria ? All have been seized with terror, and many people
have run away from me." And I said to him :
" It was my wont
in the old days to act thus if a overtaken by any kind: man was
of calamity, I came and set him free. Now they had heard that
I was dead, and so they scattered themselves abroad. Do thou
command that the people be told :
'
Akyrios is alive.' " The people
had come together because of Pharaoh's missive, and I, Akyrios,
said to the King :
" Do not be anxious, King ! I will answer him
and I will also win the three years' tribute from him and bring it
my domestics; put him in the cage with the eagles and train
them all to fly. The child must cry Bring lime and stones look :
'
;
theworkmen are ready.' And tie cords on their feet.'' And the
slaves carried out my orders, and the people of Assyria and
Nineveh returned to their homes. When the eagles were quite
trained, I said to the King :
" Now send me to King Pharaoh." He
sent me thither and I took warriors with me. And before I had
yet come to the city of Pharaoh, I made trial with the eagles'
and I saw that it Then I proceeded into
was all as I approved.
the town and sent a messenger to King Pharaoh " Agreeably to :
I did not tell him it, but said " My name is Obikam (Abesam), :
1 This is not clear in the original text. Perhaps it is : "I decided where the
eagles were to be kept, and I saw that it was all as I approved,"
' i.e. Sinagrip's.
FEOM THE SLAVONIC Id
he not sent some one better to me ? " And I answered : "The better
ones were sent to the better: and I was got for thee with difficulty."
with the boy on them. And as the eagles sprang up, the boy
cried, as he had been taught :
" See ! the workmen are ready
bring lime and stones, that they may not tarry." The King said
" Who can climb up to that height ?
" and I replied :
" I have
brought the workmen up, but you must get lime and stones. But
ifyou do not get them, the blame will not be ours." And again I,
Akyrios, cried: "Carry up lime and stones." But those people
stood wondering how they could get the stones up. I, Akyrios,
took a stick and began to beat his noblemen, so that they all ran
away. Then Pharaoh got angry and said " Why do you put me :
thou hast grown old and thy mind is weak. There are a thousand
stadia between Egypt and the land of Assyria; how could this
pole-cat have bitten off the head of thy cock in one night?"
I, Akyrios, said to him :
" And how could any one hear when the
asses bray in Assyria and thy mares foal here ? since there are a
thousand stadia between Egypt and the land of Assyria."
When Pharaoh heard this speech, he was astonished and said
to me " Answer me this riddle What is this
: : ? an oak, and on the
oak twelve pillars, and on each of the pillars thirty wheels, and in
each wheel two. mice, one black and one white." And I said to
him :
" Well, all the shepherds know it in our country," and this is
how I answered the question :
" The oak is the year the twelve ;
pillars are twelve months ; the thirty wheels are the thirty days
in the month ; and the two mice, one white and one black, are the
day and the night."
Again Pharaoh said to me :
" Twist me a rope of sand." I said
to him :
" Command thy slaves to bring one out of thy palace of
the right shape and I will make it at once." Pharaoh said:
PROM THE SLAVONIC 21
" I can give no heed to thy word ; do thou as I have told thee."
And I, Akyrios, considered in my heart and then I bored through
the wall, opposite to where the sun was, then I took the sand and
shook it into the hole, and the sunbeam seemed furrowed like a
rope. And I said to Pharaoh :
" Command thy slaves to coil up
the rope, so that I may twist another on the same spot." When
Pharaoh heard this, he smiled and said: "Blessed bo thou,
Akyrios, for this great wisdom of thine." And he prepared a
great feast and gave me three years' tribute of the land of Egypt
and dismissed me to my King.
When King Sinagrip heard of my return, he came forth to meet
me with very great joy, and said to me :
" What good dost thou
wish me to do thee ? " I said to him :
" Give these presents to my
friend to me my son Anadan, who has
who saved me, but deliver up
forgotten my teachings, with the former warnings he has had and all
the philosophy." Then they brought him to me and the King said
" There is thy nephew Anadan, I deliver him up to thee ; do with
him what thou wilt." I broughthim back home with me, and flung
an iron chain round his neck and put his feet in the stocks and
began to beat him and to torture him. I gave him, too, only
scraps of bread and some water for food, and said to my slave, who
was called Nagubil :
" Write down what I shall say to Anadan."
My son Anadan, I set thee on the throne of honour and
thou didst fling me into the mire. Thou wast to me like the
arrow up to heaven. The arrow certainly did not reach heaven, but
his friend was in a fury, and he poured water over him. My son,
thou hadst the intention of taking my place ; but God would not
hearken to thy wicked proposals.
22 THE WISE AKYRIOS
My son, thou hast been to me like the wolf who met the donkey
and said :
"I greet thee, donkey !"
but it said :
" A like greeting
should be given to my master, who fastened me so badly (i.e. so
that I can get free and run into the open), and now thou wilt
gobble me up."
My son, thou hast been to me like the trap to which there
came a hare and asked: " What art thou doing here?" It said
to him " I offer prayers
: to God." " What hast thou got in thy
My son, thou hast been to me like the mole that crept out and
lay in the sun ; an eagle came and carried it away.
Then my son said :
" Say no more, my lord ! but have mercy
on me. Men sin even against God and they are forgiven. I will
My son, they taught the wolf his alphabet, and they said to
him :
" Say A, B." But he said :
" Buck, kid>."
My son, I taught thee what is good, and thou didst meditate
evil against me ; nevertheless God does only good and helps the
upright to victory.
They put the head of an ass on a dish and it rolled in the
Here endeth the tale of Akyrios. Glory be unto our God for
A. S. L.
THE MAXIMS AND WISDOM OF KHIKAR.
From the Armenian Version.
and cast incense^ upon it, and presented my offerings and sacri-
take Nathan^ thy sister's son, and bring him up as thy son, and
he shall pay thee back thy cost of rearing him''.
' Can. thus : ' acquired me slaves and handmaids and many possessions. I
builded' etc.
2 Add of sweet odour' 58 and Edjm.
'
purple ; and a gold collar did I bind around his neck and like a ;
king's son I decked him out with ornaments. And I gave him to 8
drink milk and honey, and laid him to sleep on my eagles and
doves, until he was seven years of age. Then I began to teach 9
him writing and wisdom and the art of knowledge and the
answering of dispatches, and the returns of contradictory speeches.
And by day and by night I ceased not to instruct him; and I
sated him with my teaching, as it were with bread and water.
Then saith the king unto me Khikar, my Notary and wise : 10
one, I know that thou art grown old and after thy death, who is ;
may behold him. And when I had brought him and stood him
before the king, he beheld him and said In his days may Khikar
:
die and bury it in thy heart, and to no one divulge it. The knot
that is sealed do thou not loose, and that which is loosed do thou
not tie. And that which thou dost see, tell not ; and that which
thou hearest, reveal it not.
thou shouldest give her all thy riches, thou''' dost get nothing the
seal, and forget it not that the years of thy life may be plentiful, and that in
;
glory and wealth thou mayest reach old age.' No other Arm. source has such an
addition, which however distantly resembles the Slavonic and Syriae.
' Bod='thou art not in any way benefited by her more than to be condemned
by the God of just judgements and by mankind.' Canon = thou wilt not get '
L. A, D
26 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
5. Son, with wise men be not a fool, and with fools be not
thou wise.
6. Son, be thou the companion of a wise man, so that thou
become wise as he is; but do not become the companion of a
senseless man and of a fool, lest like them thou be called a fool.
7. Son, pour out thy wine, and drink it not with the senseless
and with the lawless, lest thou be despised by them'.
8. Son, be thou not over sweet, so that they swallow thee
down, nor over bitter, so that they spit thee out. But do thou
be gentle, tranquil in the works of thy paths and in all thy words.
9. Son, while the boot is on thy foot, tread down the thorns
and make a path for thy feet^.
10. Son, a rich man hath eaten a serpent, and they say
it is medicine for him. A poor man' hath eaten it, and they
say that he ate it out of hunger. Eat thy own portion in peace',
and cast not thy eye on that of thy companion; and with one
that is without fear go not on a journey ; and with the senseless
do thou not eat bread.
11. Son, if thou seest thy enemy fallen, do not make a scoff
anything more than thy own sin and shame from men and judgement from God,'
omitting the rest. ' Canon and Edjm. = despised ' like them.'
^ Canon, ordolz '
for thy sons ' : the other mss have otitz ' for thy feet.'
3 Lit. '
a poor man's son ' : It is a Semitism derived from the Syriao. Bod.
omits '
son.'
* Ven. and Canon add '
in peace ' ; Bod. and 58 omit.
''
Ven. adds :
'
and there is continual ill-will.'
FROM THE ARMENIAN 27
children as the dung in the garden; and as the tie and seal
fastening the packet, and as the tether on the foot of the ass, so is
the rod profitable to the child. For if thou strike him with a rod
once or twice, he is rendered sensible quietly, he does not die".
But if thou leave him to his own will, he becomes a thief; and
they take him to the gallows and to death, and he becomes unto
thee a reproach and breaking of heart'.
15. Son, train thy son in hunger and thirst, in order that in
humility he may lead his life.
16. Son, receive not any who shall repeat to thee the (word)
Son, make thy child obedient, while he is small and pliant, lest he
come into open
conflict with thee ; and thou be undone by his injury, and win the curses of strangers
because of his disobedience. Son, acquire for thyself a sturdy ass and a strong-
hoofed horse and an ox short in neck. And desire not a runaway slave, or one
petulant of tongue, or a quarrelsome thief, 58 omits this adage.
*'
» Canon adds 'by night' with the Slavonic. The other sources omit with the
Syriao. ' Yen. omits and wife.' The other sources with Canon add it.
'
28 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
21. Son, one who hath not wife or son or brother or kinsman
or friend is in the long years despised, and is like unto a tree that
is in the cross ways, and all who pass by it pluck off her leaves
and break down her branches.
22. Son^ say not thus: My lord is foolish and I am wise,
but bear with him in his folly ; and thou wilt keep thyself with
a wise man, until some other one shall praise thee.
23. Son, say ill to no one; and be thou not evil-tongued
in the presence of thy lord, that thou be not contemned by him.
24. Son, go not astray on the day of thy sacrifice, for fear lest
great.
26. Son, put not on thy finger a gold' ring which is not
thine; nor clothe thee in byssus and purple that is not thine.
Neither mount a horse that is not thine, since the onlookers who
know it will make mock at thee^
27. Son, eat not bread that is not thine own, even though
thou be very hungry.
28. Son, if a man be stronger than thyself, have no con-
troversy with him, lest he slay thee.
29. Son, crush and consume the evil out of thy heart, and
it is well for thee with God and man, and thou art holpen by
the will of God.
30. Son, if thy doorposts be loftily built to heaven as it were
seven ells, whenever thou enterest, bow thy head.
31. Son, take not from others with a big weight and give
back to them with a little weight, and say : I have made a profit.
For God allows it not, but will be wroth; and thou wilt die of
starvation.
32. Son, swear not false, that of thy days there be no fail^
1 58 omits this adage. ' '58 adds ' which thou offerest.'
3 58 adds '
or silver.' " Bod. and 58 add when they recognize
'
it.'
33. Son, give ear unto the laws of God, and be not afraid of the
evil (one), for the commandment of God is the rampart of man.
34. Son, rejoice thou not in the number of thy children, and
in their deficiency be .not distressed.
35. Son, children and possessions are bestowed by God. The
rich man is made poor, the poor man is enriched; the humble
is exalted, and the exalted is humbled.
36. Son, if lofty be the lintels of thy house, and thy friend
be sick, say not : What shall I send him ? but go on foot and
see him with thy eyes ; for that is better for him than a thousand
talents of gold and silver.
be well for thee with God and man. For whether it be gold or
little things that one steals, the punishment and the slaying is
any word between you, she will say : Alas, for my first husband !
41. Son, if retribution overtake thee from God, flee not nor
murmur; lest God be angry and with another harsher stroke
destroy thee untimely.
42. Son, love not thy son better than thy servant, for thou
knowest not which of them will be useful to thee.
43. Son, the sheep that stray from the flock become the
portion of the wolves.
44. Son, pass a just judgement in thy mind, and honour the
aged ; to the end that thou mayest receive honour from the great
judge, and that it may be well with thee.
30 THE WISDOM OF EHIKAR
45. Son, incline thine eyes and soften the utterance of thy
mouth, and look under thine eyes ; that thou mayest not appear
senseless to men, for if a temple were built by hallooings, an ass
would build seven palaces^ in a day and cottages (?).
46. Son, boast not in the day of thy youth, lest thy youth be
thy destruction.
47. Son, suffer not thy companion to tread on thy feet, lest
48. Son, speak not in wrath with thine adversary before the
judge, lest thou be called senseless" and foolish. But whatever he
asks thee, answer him with sweetness; and thou wilt heap up
his judgement on his head.
49. Son, if thou petitionest God for good, first fulfil His will
with fasting and prayer, and then are fulfilled thy petitions unto
thy good.
50. Son, a good name is better than a face that excites longing.
For beauty is destroyed^, but a good name endureth for ever.
So Bod. and Canon Ven. has a fat kid in etc., where parart fat is a
5 :
'
' ' '
54. Son, curse not thy son, until thou see his end; and
reject him not in scorn, until thou behold his latter end and
requital and earnings.
55. Son, examine the word in thy heart and then utter it.
thy heart seven fathoms deep ; so that the evil die and the good
be fulfilled.
57. Son, do thou not scoff frivolously ; for the frivolous scoff
of a tree.
59. Son, reveal thy lesser counsel to thy friend, and after
days irritate him and flout him. And\ if he does not reveal that
counsel, then reveal to him thy greater counsels, and thou keepest
him a trusty friend.
60. Son, in the presence of kings and judges, be helpful to
thy comrade ; for, as it were from the mouth of a lion, dost thou
rescue him ; and he becometh to thee a good name and a glory.
61. Son, if thine enemy come to thee to thy foot, grant him
pardon and laugh with joy to his face and receive him with
honour.
62. Son, where thou art not invited, go not for a festival
and where they ask thee not, give no answer.
63. Son, over a river frozen and swollen pass thou not, lest
1 Bod. '
and see, if and below
'
' and keep him ' etc,
' '
words of wisdom Bod. '
32 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
69. Son, I have eaten endive and I have drunk gall, and
it was not more bitter than poverty. I have lifted salt, and I
have lifted lead, and it was not heavier than is debt. For though
I ate and drank, I could not restl I have lifted iron and I have
lifted stones upon my shoulders, and it was better for me than to
dwell with the ignorant and the fool.
lest thou be despised by them, and they hearken not unto thy
words.
71. Son^ love thy flesh and thy wife. For she is thyself and
the companion of thy life, and even by extreme labour she
nurtures thy son^
72. Son, if thy lord send thee to bring a dunged grape,
bring it not to him; for he will eat the grape, yet not let thee
off punishment for the dung.
73. Son, the word of a wise man in drink is better than the
word of a fool that is thirsty or sober. Better is an upright slave
than one free but false. Better is a friend near at hand than
a brother far away.
74. Son, reveal not thy secret counsel to thy wife. For she is
'
Perhaps the sense is and stay not till the last.
'
weak and small of soul, and she reveals it to the powerful, and
thou art despised.
75. Son, if thou drinkest wine, keep thy tongue from
babbling, and it is well for thee and thou art called wise.
76. Son, without a schedule and witness, give not up thy
property, lest the other deny it and thou regret it.
77. Son, forsake not thy friend, lest thou find not another
sharer of thy counsel and friends
78. Son, love thy father who begat thee, and incur not the
curse of thy father and mother, so that thou mayest rejoice in the
prosperity of thy sons.
79. Son, it is better if they steal thy goods, than that they
detect theft in thee.
80. Son, if God prosper a man in his undertakings, do thou
honour him. And whenever thou beholdest an aged man, do
thou rise and stand up before him and magnify him.
81. Son, oppose not thyself to a wealthy man and to a river
in flood. For the eyes of a grasping man are not filled ^ except
with dust^.
82. Son, do thou not bring about a betrothal match, for they
see the good to be from God and from luck; but the bad is
white as the dove, even so will the senseless man abandon his
84. Son, go not too often' to the house of thy ft'iend, lest
he hate thee.
85. Son, a dog that leaves his master and follows after thee,
pursue him with stones^.
86. Son, good deeds and a pure offering are pleasing to
God ; and do thou fear shame as thou fearest God.
'
Nos. 77 and 79 are only given in 58.
''
69 adds :
'
with treasure.' * 58 om. 81.
* The Armenian is obscure here.
' Canon adds on foot.'
' " Bod. Ven. add :
' which is not.' Canon omits
L. A. E
34 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
87. Son, the taking of an evil counsel into thy heart is the
antagonism of the dev'^ ; and resistance is the foundation of
deeds, and the rampart of faith.
88. Son, that which seems evil unto thee, do not to thy com-
panion ; and what is not thine own, give not unto others.
89. Son, love the truth and hate lawlessness and= falsehood.
Give ear unto the commandments of God, and fear not the evil
for avarice is the mother of all evils, and all evils are engendered
of impudence.
91. Son, love not judgement'; for even if thou get the better
of thine adversary, yet be in fear of the judgement of God.
92. Son, he that is upright in mind is the sun giving light,
and he that is treacherous in heart is gloomy with darkness ; and
he that is generous in heart is full of pity. He that is grasping,
even though he has aught, is nevertheless dull of wit.
93. Son', into the house of a drunkard enter not ; and if thou
enter, tarry not ; for in thy habits thou remainest empty and idle.
palate) of a bow, which strikes no one else, but bruises its own
head.
96. Son, a drunken man thinks in his mind thus: I am
brave, and everything that I say, I say wisely. He does not
know that if he meets with a man of courage, he will throw him
at the first touch of his hands flat on the ground and drag him.
1 Or to the dev, a Persian word which in old Armenian usually means a demon.
2 Yen. om. 'lawlessness and.' ' Canon adds of injustice.' '
98. Son, a drunken man thinks that the earth whirls round
in his going he knows not that his head is deranged ; for as the
make up your mind that you must give away out of your purse
and not your purse only, but the hair off your chin ^
100. Son, be thou not false in speech ; for if they find thee to
be once false, then when thou speakest the truth, they will reckon
thee false and will not believe thee^.
And I say to Nathan : Son, receive into thy mind my precepts
and forget them not.
101 The questions' of the king's sons and the answer of Khikar.
Houday and Baliayn asked questions of Khikar, and Khikar
said to Nathan There are four things that increase the light to
:
—
man's eyes, to look upon flowers, to tread with naked foot on the
green, to walk amidst the water and to see one's friend.
102 Four things are there which make a man fat and keep him
healthy; —
to wear linen and to hear such things as seem to
103 see one's remote (friend) well off. And four things are there
104 modesty in small matters and big ones. And four things are
' This precept has already come as No. 11, in almost identical language.
2 This precept is in bad late Armenian and I give the sense of the last clause
oonjecturally.
3 This precept also is in late Armenian.
* The passage which follows until the resumption of the narrative is written in
vulgar Armenian. Yen. gives the names thus : Shoutay and Bayilan.
36 THE WISDOM OF EHIKAU
and' false-speaking.
105 They asked the sage and said : What is the most pleasing
thing on earth ? He replied : Modesty. He that hath a modest
face is pleasing. For all evils are bom of impudence and folly.
with him and I said : Keep away from my property, and come not
near it, for it is written in the Proverbs that, whereon hands have
not laboured, that thing his eye spareth not. And I went and 4
told Seneqarim my lord. And he called Nathan and said : As
long as Khikar is alive, thou shalt not touch his property. In 5
that season Nathan saw Boudan' his brother, who had been
brought up in my house, and said : Khikar my father is grown old
and his words have lost their savour. And when I heard this, I 6
cast him out from all my belongings. But Nathan formed a plan 7
of wickedness in his heart. He wrote in my name a letter to the
enemy of Seneqarim, the King of Nineveh and Asorestan and it ;
was as follows
Eagles on the 25th day of the month Hrotitz, and I will put in
your power the land of the Asores, and will give the throne of
Seneqarim into thy hand without trouble, for thee to hold it.
said to Nathan : Come not near my chattels, for it is said in the wise
ones, that hands which have not been hard worked, the eye shall not
spare. went and told my lord Seneqarim. And the king
And I
ordered Nathan and said As long as thy father Khikar is alive,
:
go not near his possessions, but remain in the royal gate, and let
thy father Khikar remain in his gate, and rest in his old age.
I Khikar when I saw all this that Nathan did, I said in my heart
Alas How hath Nathan despised my sweet advice, and all my wisdom
!
day of the month Hrotitz thou shalt come to meet me on the plain of
Eagles. And when thou oomest near draw up face to face against my
forces, as if it were being prepared against thine enemies. For the
envoys of Pharaon are come unto me to see our forces and tremble.
And this letter Nathan sent to me as if by the command of the
king. And he himself Nathan stood before the king and said : King,
live for ever. I have eaten bread and salt in thy house. God forbid
that I should deceive my king.
For my father Khikar, whom thou didst send unto rest, unto
honour, unto glory, hath not done according to the command of your
kingship, but hath played false to God and your kingship. And he
had given the letter to certain trusty men of the king, and they gave
it to the sovereign ; and the sovereign gave it to Nathan and said :
Read. And Nathan read it before the king, and the king was sorely
troubled,and asked those who gave him the letter Who gave into :
your hands this letter? And as Nathan had charged them, they
answered with one mind, saying Travellers that were going into
:
Egypt. They had the letter, and we thy servants found them and
took them by force. And when we asked them Whence are ye ? :
over against him as he had commanded. When the king saw this,
he was very grieved. Nathan began to speak and said : Grieve 1
set thee in trust over all my affairs. And all the affairs of my
kingdom shall be transacted by thee with ability.
then have I doue to Khikar, that he hath devised such a snare for
me ? Wherefore hath he returned evil for good ? Nathan replied and
said : Be not troubled, O mighty king. But let us go to the plain of
the Eagles, as is written in the dispatch ; and let us see if it is so, then
let thy behests be done.
And Nathan took the king and went to the plain of the Eagles.
But I, Khikar, when I learned of the setting out of the king, prepared
my forces and set them over against him, as had been written in the
dispatch by behest of the king.
When the king saw my forces, he was sore troubled. The king
said : If thou bringest Khikar before me, mighty presents will I give
thee, and all the royal affairs shall be discharged by thee; for thou
hast been found a trusty servant before me. And the king went back
into his palace.
And Nathan came to me and said : My father Khikar, very
40 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAE
c. iv. 1 thee and says Come to me and let us be joyful together. And
:
one, perverted and inane^ Give thy hand for the iron and thy
4 foot for the fetter. And the king turned away his face from me
and said to Abusmaq, his nayip : Lead away and slay yon godless
Khikar, and remove his head afar, about 100 ells.
5 And I fell on my face and kissed the earth and said : King,
live for ever. Thou hast willed me to slaying, and hast not
hearkened unto my words. And I from my heart know that I
have not in any way wronged thee, and in my heart there is no
burial.
my own house. And when I went forth from the king, I wrote a
honourable and pleasing hath seemed to the king this preparing of thy
cavalry in array. Therefore hath he sent me to thee and saith All :
thou hast done, thou hast done well and wisely. So then give orders
to thy forces to go to their place, and do thou come and let us make
merry together.
me and bewail me, that I may see with my own eyes even the
wailers who bewail me in my life- time. But* thou shalt make 7
She went out to meet them^, and led them into the house, and set
beforethem a table and fed them, and gave them to drink old
;
wine and unmixt,'till they were fuddled and were drunk and fell
asleep. Then I and my wife fell at the feet of Abusmaq weeping, 9
behold God with thine eyes; and remember the bread and salt
which we have eaten together, and remember how that they
betrayed thee to Seneqarim the king's father; and I took and
kept thee until the king asked for thee, and how, when I led thee
wine.
And I said to Abousmaq my comrade, Look up to heaven and
discern God with thine eyes and remember the love of our brotherhood.
And sin not against my blood, for thou knowest that I am innocent.
But remember also this, that the sire of Seneqarim gave thee into mj'
hands for slaying ; and I wronged thee not, for I knew that thou wast
innocent. And I kept thee until the king made a request and then
:
I led thee before the king, and the king gave me mighty gifts. This
1 92 and 58 alone add the words 'was... and.'
2 Cod. "me."
L. A. F
42 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
thee there will be mighty gifts as thy requital, good for good^ I
king's command.
11 And when I said this, Abusmaq had pity on me, and did my
will and what I told him. And the soldiers, fuddled, woke up
from sleeps at midnight, and slew Seniqar my slave, and removed
12 his head from him one hundred ells. And the news went forth
into the city of Asorestan, that Khikar, Notary and wise man,
was dead.
Then Abusmaq my comrade and Abestan my wife made me
a house dug out under ground, its^ length seven ells, and its
2 Canon = ' its height three ells and its length seven ells, equal to {m- level with)
the doorposts of my house,'
FROM THE ARMENIAN 43
was dead, and of the Ninevites and all the land (that) they were
fled, he was very glad. And the king of Egypt, Pharaon, wrote a
letter as follows
was no concern for mourning. And he collected all his dear ones to
drink wine and made great good cheer, instead of mourning as the
king commanded. Using force to the dear ones of Khikar he tortured
them and had no respect for Arphestan wife of Khikar, nay rather
desired to fornicate with her.
And Khikar was hearing the voice of my stewards whom Nathan
I
letter.
answer thereto ?
And the king was distressed and said : Alas for Khikar my
secretary and wise man
And when Pharaon learned, that they could not give an answer to
his writing, he sent puissant forces and they took tribute from Sene-
qarim. And as long as Khikar languished in the prison, the burden
of Pharaon was multiplied on Asorestan and Nineveh. Those who
44 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAB
request, then I come and take away thy kingdom and will lay waste
4 thy land. When the king heard this he was very grieved, and sent
and mustered his satraps to ask their advice, saying : What shall we
5 do ? The^ satraps say : King, who else can answer this question
except Nathan who hath learned of Khikar and knoweth his lore
and hath been brought up in his house ? He will be able to give
him an answer demand which the king of Egypt hath
to this
written. Then the king called Nathan and shewed him the
counsel ; and he gave him the dispatch, and Nathan read it.
6 When he had read aloud the letter, he cried out with a loud voice
and said : This^ is a matter which even the gods' cannot settle
or give answer to. How shall I be able to give answer ?
7 When the king heard, he rose from his golden throne and sat
in the ashes, and with his own hands he smote his face and
plucked out his beard and said :
'
Alas for thee, Khikar, Notary
palace. . .
This when Nathan heard, he cried with a loud voice and said
King, live for ever. Such a matter as that the gods could not make
answer to. Surely then not men 1
When He rose from
the king heard this he was very distressed.
his throne and sat on sackcloth, beat his person and said Alas for :
Khikar, able notary and wise. On the words of a lying man I slew
' Canon And they perplext said To such a matter Khikar would give an
: :
still living.' The king said : ' Speak, Abusmaq, my servant and 9
trusty one. If thou canst shew me Khikar alive, I will give thee^
byssus and purple and bestow on thee mighty presents.' And 10
Abusmaq, when he heard this from the king, like a swiftly flying
When the king beheld me^, he bent his head and was ashamed 12
to look in my face ; and hardly looked in my face, his face being
full of shame; and^ he said to me: O my loved and honourable
him. There is none like thee. And there is no successor like thee in
the royal gate. If anyone gave thee to me, I would weigh him against
gold and buy thee. When Abousmaq learned the deep distress of the
king, he said : My lord king, he that contemns the behests of his
lord and fulfils them not is guilty of death. Now then this word of
mine is fulfilled in me. For I fulfilled not the behest of my lord.
Thou didst make behest to slay Khikar, and now he is still alive.
And
the king said Speak, speak, my servant, well-doing and
:
trusty. For thou hast not sinned. But of many good things hast
thou become worthy. If thou shewest me Khikar, I will give thee
royal purples and one hundred thousand talents of gold.
And he sent me to the bath for them to wash and anoint me with
1 Bod. '
will array thee in.' ^ Canon :
' the hair of my head.'
3 Bod. adds : 'in such plight.'
46 THE WISDOM OF KHIKA.R
brother Khikar, go to thy house and repair thy person for 40 days,
and then come unto me. And I did so. And I came back again
to the king, and the king said : I have sinned against thee, father
Khikar. Not I is it that has sinned against thee, but Nathan thy
sister's son, whom thou didst bring up.
13 And I fell on my face and kissed the earth before the king
and said : Forasmuch as I have seen the face of the king, I am
alive, and all evils are turned for me into wellbeing. Forasmuch
as thy servant Khikar has found grace,
c. vi. 1 The king said : Hast thou heard this, honourable good
Khikar, to wit, what the Egyptian has sent and that which is
fragrant oil (omitting the direct speech of the king on this point).
And they did so, and brought raiment of great price and clad me in it.
And the king brought and set me close to him. And all that he had
promised to Abousmaq he fulfilled amply.
Then the king brought the letter of Pharaon and gave it to me,
and said Read and give an answer to this letter.
:
And I took and read it, and said to the king Send yon envoys :
to go to their place. And I will later set out and fulfil the behests of
Pharaon.
And when they were gone, I Khikar secretary sent and had
brought two eaglets. . .
FROM THE ARMENIAN 47
'
When thou readest this writing, do thou have caught two 4
nestlings of an eagle, and two children not yet able to talk, and
two nursing women to nurse the little ones. And they shall
say: Clay, lime, mortar, brick. The artisans stand idle. And
have two ropes spun, the length thereof two hundred ells, and
the thickness thereof one ell. And cause a carpenter to fit 5
together two cages for the children ; and give food to the eagles,
every day two lambs. And cause the children to be bound upon
the eagles, and to make little flights, until they form the habit.
And in this way habituate them until they soar aloft two hundred
ells.'
bound them upon the eagles ; they flew up and soared aloft, and
the children cried out and said : Clay, lime, mortar, brick. The
artisans stand idle. And I Khikar took a rod, and I went after 8
1 i.e. 'to God.' The plural dig literally=' demons,' but is used like the
Hebrew Elohim as a singular. The same use is found in the Arm. version of
Eusebius' Chronioon Bk i. In the Arm. 0. T. it is used as a plural.
And I fell on my face and did homage to him and kissed him. 20
The king said : Expound this saying.
upon them thirty wheels, and upon each wheel two couriers ^ the
one black and the' other white. And I said : king, this the
cowherds of the Asores know. The pillar of which thou spakest
is the year and the cedars are the twelve months. The thirty
wheels are the days of the months. The two couriers, the one
black and the other white, are dawn and nightfall^.
The king said, What is this story, that from Egypt as far as 22
Nineveh there are 500 leagues —how did our mares hear the
neighing of your stallions and miscarry? I Khikar went out
from him, and I took a cat and scolded and tortured it. Then
they told the king, saying : Khikar flouts the diq and tortures the
cats. The king called me and said : Khikar, wherefore dost thou
flout our diq and torture the cats ? And I said : Yon cat has 23
done harm enough to me. Aforetime the king gave to me
a cock ; sweet of voice was it, and at each hour it awoke me, to
go to the king's palace. This very night (the cat) went off and
bit off the head of the cock and came back here. And the king 24
said to me as follows : It appears that as thou growest old, in the
same measure your words and wisdom are changed round. From
Egypt Nineveh there are 500' leagues. How then in a single
to
night could a cat bite off the head of the cock and come back
hither ? But I said How could your mares hear the neighing
:
and miscarry.
The king said: Leave this. Come and weave me a rope of 25
sand. When I had gone out from him, the king said to all those
with him : Whatever Khikar says, ye shall say :
'
We know and
have heard this thing.'
And I took and wrote a letter thus : From Seneqarim king, c. vii. 1
L. A. G
50 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
4 king said^: If thou weave not for me a rope of sand, thou shalt
not carry away the tribute from Egypt. And I went into a
deeply dug chamber, and perforated the wall of the chamber on
the side whence the dawn shone; and when the dawn gleamed
forth, it flashed into the chamber seven ells ; and I took up dust
of sand and cast it into the hole bored and blew into it. It
appeared like woven twists, and I said: Give orders, king,
that they collect yon ropes and I will weave yet others.
5 When the king saw this he laughed and said: Blessed art
thou before the diq. And he gave me very great presents, and
allowed the tribute from Egypt, and well and gladly dismissed me,
and I departed.
6 When the king Seneqarim heard of my coming, he went out
to meet me with joy. When we had saluted each other, he took
and led me into his palace and made me recline at the head of
the couch ; and made merry for several days, and bestowed on me
very great presents, and said to me : my father Khikar, ask of
7 me other very great presents and I will give them to thee. And
I bowed to the earth to him and said: King, live for ever.
^ 92 adds '
nor your king.'
Canon = and Pharaon said: Weave me a rope of sand, in length nine ells.
'
And I said My lord king, order them to bring forth from your treasury a model
:
that I may see and according to the model make it, that it be not too thick or too
thin. And Pharaon said In my treasury is none. But unless thou weave it, thou
:
carriest not off the silver, which by thy wisdom thou hast sought and I promised.
FROM THE ARMENIAN 51
him a little bread and a little water. I began to speak and said
as follows.
1. Son, him that with his ears heareth not, they make to hear c. viii.
Then I took Nathan, and led him to my house and bound (him to) ;
my pillar of iron, of which the weight was seven hundred utres and ;
I placed a rope round his neck. And I smote a thousand blows {lit.
and he set his foot hard upon that scorpion and crushed it and
said : Captive, knewest thou not that thy breath and soul was
under my feet ?
my lifetime eat thee, after my death they pluck up thy root and
prepare (lit. build) my skin.
10. Son, thou hast been to me like him that shot his arrow
up to the heavens ; and he was not able to reach thereunto, but
reaped the reward of his lawlessness, and the arrow returned upon
his head.
11. Son, thou hast been to me like the sower, who sowed ten
bushels, and gathered five bushels, and the rest failed.
12. Son, thou hast been to me like the axe that was
chopping a tree. Said the tree : Wert* thou not from me, thou
MS Canon has the rest of the saying thus ' like the young of the eagle, and thy
:
fingers were sharpened against my eyes. For thine eye was evil to look upon me.'
2 I supply the words the needle said from ms Canon. The other copies omit
'
'
it through homoioteleuton.
* MS Canon, better Were not what is in thy hand from me, thou wert not
:
'
FROM THE ARMENIAN 53
it would not fill the place of the horse. And if its fleece were as
purple, it could not be likened to the body of a king^
The maggot of the bread ate the body of a king, but was
itself of no use to anyone nor profitable, but vile.
13. Son, thou hast been to me like the young of the swallow
which fell out of its nest, and a weasel found it and said : If it
had not been for me*, then a great evil would have befallen thee.
The nestling said to the weasel : Thy good which thou hast done
to me shall return upon thine head.
14. Son, a dog which itself eats the quarry, will become the
prey of wolves. An eye that gives me no light, the ravens dig it
out. Hand which helps me not, from the shoulder let them lop
it off.
15. Son, thou hast been to me like the lure which lay buried
in the dung. A sparrow found it and said : What doest* thou ?
A little loaf for the hungry. The sparrow darted in to take the
bread and was caught by the neck and said : If this was a little
16. Son, they said to the wolf: Keep away from the fold.
an ass, and said : Peace be unto thee. The young ass said
able to overcome me.' In Arm. katzi = child: katzin = the child or an axe. The
MS here reads the latter, and the scribe of ms Canon took the word in the sense of
child. The scribe of the other mss took it in the sense of axe.
1 MS Canon, better :
'
My son, thou didst imagine thus, saying : I fill the place
of Khikar, but were the pig's tail nine ells long ' etc.
2 MS Canon like the Syriao adds here this saying Son, I thus thought, that :
'
thou wouldst stay in my house and inherit my goods. But according to thy
lawlessness, God hath not prospered thee.'
» Lit. if it had been apart from me.
'
round a bramble and fell into a river. A wolf saw it and said
Lo, the evil is mounted on the evil, and evil is that which drives
them along.
22. Son, thou hast been to me as a mole which came out of
its hole and one with another went forth because of their eyes not
seeing. And an eagle swooped and seized him; and the mole
said : If there had been no senses in my case, I should have
remained in my place and lived a peaceful life.
23. Son, they gave teaching the wolfs cub, and- said : Say
thou, ayb, ben, gim^; and he said ayts, bouts, garhn (i.e. goat, kid,
lamb).
24. Son, they took the swine to the bath, and he plunged
into it, then rolled himself in the bog, saying : You wash in your
unto God, and He forgives them, when they say: I have sinned.
Father, I have sinned unto thee. Forgive me, and I will be to
down, and the tree said : Leave me in this place^, that in the next
year I may bear fruit. The lord of the tree said ; Up to this day
hast thou been to me useless, in the future thou wilt not become
useful.
He who loves evil is hateful to many, and he who pursues the good
inherits it.
" Canon adds this precept about the dog after No. 16. It comes as the fourth
in the first series of the Syriao.
3 Canon :
'
and he who digs a pit for his comrade fills it with his own person.'
So the Syriao.
* The last three words in Codex Van. alone.
F. C. C.
ARMENIAN VERSION
palaces, and I was not deficient in wealth. But seed I had not to
inherit my wealth. And I remembered the day of my death, that
all would make mock of me, and say that Khikar the scribe and
sage is dead, and there was no son to bury him, nor daughter to
bewail him. And having reflected, I went in before my gods, and
O Khikar scribe, it is not fated for thee (to have) seed ; but that
thou take Nathan thy sister's son, and rear him. And he shall be
a son to thee and repay to thee thy bringing (of him) up.
And when I heard this from the gods, I took Nathan my sister's
son one year old was he, and I nourished him, and I clad him in
;
and like a king's son I decked him out with ornaments, and with
my own hands I gave him to drink milk and honey, and I laid
him to sleep [on the down] of my eagles and doves, until he was
seven years of age. And I began to teach him writing and wisdom,
the returns of contradictory speeches, and interpretation of parables.
By day and by night I ceased not to instruct Nathan.
And Senekarim the king saith unto me Khikar, my : scribe,
my soul is distressed on account of thee ; for there is no one who
after thy death can discharge the affairs of our kingdom. And
I said : my lord the king, there is my son, who is superior to
me in cleverness and wisdom.
And the king said : Bring him unto me, that I may see
whether he will be able to stand in my royal court, and you
yourself be at rest for your life.
And I brought Nathan and stood him before the king. And
the king said: This day be blessed among days; for Khikar
during his lifetime has presented his son before me and now do
;
and in glory and greatness {or wealth) tbou shalt reach old age.
2. Son, loosen not the knot which is sealed, and that which
is loosed do thou not seal.
3. Son, raise not up thine eyes and look on a lovely woman,
antimonied and painted ; nor desire her in thy heart ; for if thou
shouldst squander^ all thy riches on her, thou wilt get no more
1 sleep. We add " on the down of " or similarly.
There seems to be a lacuna after
So in MS but Canon and 131 read " squander," which must be the correct
"
L. A. H
58 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
than thine own, only sin and shame from men, and condemnation
from God.
4. Son, lower thine eyes, and soften the utterances of thy
mouth, and look out under thine eyes ; and thou wilt not appear
to men quarrelsome and senseless, for if a house could be' built
by hallooing any jackass would build seven palaces in a day.
5. Son, if the oxen by sheer strength drew along, the yoke
would not fail from the neck of the camel ^-
the dung is useful to the garden, and the tie to the packet, and
the tether on the foot of the ass, so is the whip useful to the
child.
15. Son, if thou chastise him calmly, he dieth not but ; if thou
' This is a conflation of two texts in one of which a camel drew the plough, in
the other oxen as in the S.yriao.The meaning is that if the plough were not
guided by a human
hand, rather than by the brute force of the animal, the
ploughing would never be over.
2 A version of the Syriac idiom.
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 59
abandon him to his own will, he becomes a thief and a fool ; and
they take him to execution and to the fetters, and he becomes
unto thee a reproach and breaking of heart.
16. Son, make thy child obedient, while he is small and
pliant, lest he come into open conflict with thee; and thou be
undone by his injury, and win the curses of strangers because of
his disobedience.
17. Son, acquire for thyself a sturdy ass and a strong hoofed
horse and an ox short in neck. But acquire not a runaway slave,
or a handmaid petulant of tongue and given to dancing.
18. Son, a false man is fond of his neighbour to his face ; but
afterwards he is despised. But thou shalt be justified by thy
works.
19. Son, false words are fatter than a quail ; but he that is
23. Son, as the tree is enjoyable for its fruit and branches,
and the mountain wooded with the cedars, in the same way it is
26. Son, when anyone else sends thee on some affair, add not
nor take away from the message, lest thou become a laughing-stock
and be contemned.
27.Son, in the multitude of thy children rejoice not, and in
their deficiency be not' distressed for children and possessions are
;
bestowed by God. The rich man is made poor, and the poor man
is enriched.
28. Son, if thy neighbour have fallen sick, say not : What
shall I send to him ? But go and see him, for that is better than
29. Son, in reward for evil speaking, receive not a bribe ; for
paths; and it will be well for thee with God and man. For
whether one steals gold, or some little thing, the punishment is
husband ! And thou art distressed, and there will arise between
you a mighty quarrel.
35. Son, eat not thy bread at another's table, that you may
not incur an obligation from others.
36. Son, better is a bird in thy hand, than a thousand
fluttering in the heavens.
37. Son, better is a fat kid in thy house, than an ox and
a steer in the house of amther.
38. Son, better is a rian blind of his eyes, than one blind in
his mind ; for he that i\^ blind quickly learns the coming and
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 61
45. Son, a slave who sins against his master, and proceeds
into a strange land, let him find no rest nor any mercy of God.
46. Son, test thy son, to see if he be wise ; and then thou
shalt give thy possessions into his hands.
47. Son, from the house of invitation and from the wedding,
withdraw quickly before thy neighbour, and return not again.
Thus thou shalt anoint thy head with sweet oil.
one, and then say : I have made a profit. For such an action is
iniquitous and evil in the sight of God; and God will be angry
with thee, and will give into the hands of others what thou hast.
' Through loss of a leaf precepts 48-55 are lacking in Bodl. g. 9, and are supplied
from Bodl. Canon 131.
62 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAE
51. Son, swear not falsely, that of thy days there be no fail,
61. Son, say not an evil thing to thy friend ; but rejoice in
his presence, that he may be continually glad.
62. Son, condescend with thy wife; but reveal not to her
thy secrets : for she cannot keep a word in her heart, but reveals
it to her neighbours; for she is stunted in mind and small of
spirit, and is unable to endure.
63. Son, receive not what thou hast not deposited, and that
which is not thine, bestow not upon others.
64. Son, ponder a word in thy heart and then utter it. For
if subsequently thou changest the word, thou becomest a laughing-
stock.
65. Son, utter not an empty word in thy mouth ; for better
75. Son, mount not on a horse that is not thine, and even if
thou art very hungry, eat not bread that is not thine.
76. Son, reveal thy secrets before thy friend, and after some
days, provoke him. If he does not reveal the secret thou didst
tell him, let him be thy friend. For he has been found true to
thee,
64 THE WISDOM OF KHTKAR
77. Son, it is better if they steal all thy goods, than that
they should detect theft in thee.
78. Son, rejoice not in the death of thy enemies, for death
impends before thee also.
79. Son, when anyone asks for goods of thee, prevent him not,
even if thou canst. For thou wilt receive from God a hundred-
fold for one.
81. Son, only when the rivers pause in their flow, or the sun in
his course, or gall becomes sweet as honey, or the raven becomes
white as the dove, '(^ll the fool abandon his folly and the senseless
man his path.
82. Son, go not too often on foot to thy friend's house, lest he
be surfeited and loathe thee.
83. Son, a dog that leaves his master and follows after thee,
drive him away with stones.
85. Son, do thou fear God and let none see evil deeds of
thine, in order that they may not learn of thee.
86. Son, acquire not riches by injustice, lest all thy possessions
be destroyed.
87. Son, flee from a bad man, and with a wise man be thy path.
88. Son, avarice is mother of sin and parent of evil ; but pity
and truth are dispensers of good.
89. Son, ruin of the soul and an evil memory are due to
avarice ; and they that love riches hate their Mends, and all misers
105. Son, avoid being a guara,ntor, for thou wilt suffer much
anguish therefrom, and must discharge the debt.
106. Son, love not strife, for it is death of deaths ; and never
go to law, for in opposed words many a snare lurks.
108. Son, give advice to all men, to the end that thou mayest
be called wise and discreet.
109. Son, help the fallen and weak and feeble, so far forth as
thou art able, for such conduct rewards thee with God.
110. Son, overweening men are far from friendship and from
deep affection ; and they bring reproaches upon themselves, and
detach themselves from their neighbours.
111. Son, swinish and greedy men will break ofif from their
true friends.
112. Son, before all things fear thy tongue as a stranger;
for thou dost not know how soon it will bring evil upon thee.
' Or palate.
Lit. gazing gaze.
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 67
131. Son, when you are despised in the eyes of kings, all your
friends will become haters of yourself, and your friends will hold
aloof.
132. Son, say not to the poor man. You can never do me
harm. For from the most abject of men proceed many harms,
and not from those who are held in honour.
133. Son, it is better if one of your friend's dogs should cling
to you, than that one who hates you should howl against you\
a servant who forgets his master, brings you no good, but only
evil.
135. Son, a woman who flouts her husband and says to you
You are more fair than my husband, and are pleasing in my eyes,
139. Son, the desire of this world in the eyes of all who see
resembles the lion who was born by night, and they reared him in
the dark. He beheld the sun's effulgence, and reckoned all his
life to have been in hell.
sweeps on and works havoc to the land, and plucks up the crops
by the root and the green herbs with its hail.
142. Son, a good king raises up the world, but a bad and
abominable king, even though he enjoys his kingdom in his
lifetime, yet brings upon the world much commotion and many
evils, and of his own accord weaves destruction for himself.
143. Son, a man who is greedy and slothful (?) in war,
resembles a bird that is gorged on carrion, for he is heavy, and his
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 69
wings are relaxed; and is easily caught by the fowlers and
destroyed. Even so a man that is slothful (?) and drunken, is
exhausted of intelligence, and is easily taken in a snare.
144. Son, a witless man imagines in his mind that, when
he enters into the tribulation (?) of kings, he will be increased in
his glory; but he does not understand that death easily over-
takes him.
145. Son, do not inflame your heart with the surly words of
your comrade, until you have done something and tested him to
see whether he be good or bad. For one who is by nature deceitful,
because you may entrust all your property to him, will not give
up his disposition.
146.
Son, be not double-tongued among your companions.
For you imagine you are loved of all, but do not realise that,
whenever your actions reveal your true character, you will be put
to shame and become a laughing-stock, and it will be bitterer for
you than death,
147. Son, plan not evil against your comrade, lest you be
evilly destroyed.
in order that the onset (?) of the evil one and the snares of death
may pass away from you.
152. Son, covet not another's wife, to fulfil thy desire ; for
70 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
she is like brine, since the more you drink, the more your thirst
but when they open his mouth, there is found no joy in him.
161. Son, a swinish fellow imagines that his life cannot pass
away, and that his wealth fails not. But this he knows not, that
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 71
others will snatch the nnultitude of his goods, nor remember his
name for good.
162. Son, when you proceed to war, go not with one who
is a coward, for fetters (?) are on the feet of your charger, to wit a
coward (?); and he makes your valour of no effect. And he
immediately rolls on the ground and inflames the valour of your
adversary. But in the strife of battle be companion of a brave-
hearted man ; that, when he triumphs over his enemy, you along
with him be praised and glorified by the princes while if you ;
causes the children to stumble and they are prone to take to evil
courses, and to forsake the truth, and are despised in their many
utterances, and reveal the secrets of princes, and babble out of
vain-glory. They forsake good works and are emptied of wisdom,
nor do they judge fairly the causes of widows and orphans. They
drive themselves unto death and are not able to be wary, but
expose themselves naked before kings and before their enemies,
and are put to shame by all.
167. Son, when you encounter a shameless woman, a fire
is brought nigh unto your flanks, and a
deadly serpent to your
170. Son, a fool boasts before the battle, and praises himself;
but in the time of battle he maketh himself a reproach before all.
171. Son, an ignorant king and ruler contemns the wise man
and flouts his wisdom ; and elevates the wanting in wit and the
worthless. He is like unto the irrational and witless beasts of
the field.
172. Son, when you are drunk, keep your mouth shut and
talk not ; for your temper is not under your control (or your nature
is not in your hand).
173. Son, as earth is mother of all plants and shrubs, so is
174. Son, if you rule the world and are lord of all men, keep
yourself from drunkenness ; that you lose not all concern for
things of heaven or of earth,
175. Son, a sovereign that loves good is victorious and
renowned in war and battle, and by his valour smites down
his foes.
With one who lacks judgment, drink not. Associate not with
a witless fellow, make not an ignorant one your steward, for he
will plunder your household.
183. Son, have no fear of anyone who stands in fear of God.
Honour the guileless man, but look not unto the crafty.
184. Son, invite not the actor into thy house. Go not
unseasonably to war. Return not evil for evil. Slumber not too
long of a night.
185. Son, talk with the poor man as with kings; be not
eager among those who have too much (?) ; converse not with an
uncultivated man.
186. Son, keep yourself in humility always. For humility is
by the wise, that hands that have not been hard- worked, the eye
shall not spare. And I went and told my lord Senekarim. And
I.. A. K
74 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAE
the king gave orders to Nathan and said : As long as thy father
Khikar is alive, go not near his possessions; but remain in the
royal gate, and let thy father Khikar remain in his gate, and rest
in his old age.
the king. But he himself, Nathan, stood before the king and
said : king, live for ever. I have eaten bread and salt in thy
house, and God forbid that I should deceive my king.
For my father Khikar, whom thou didst send unto rest, unto
honour, unto glory, hath not done according to the command of
thy kingship, but hath played false to God and thy kingship.
And he had given the letter to certain trusty men of the king,
1 "25th "in Canon 131,
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 75
And Nathan read it before the king, and the king was sorely
troubled, and asked those who gave him the letter: Who gave
this letter into your hands ? And as Nathan had charged them,
they answered with one mind, saying : Travellers that were going
into Egypt. They had the letter on them, and we thy servants
found them and took them by force. And when he asked them
Whence are ye ? They answered : We are native slaves of Khikar.
And the fcing was troubled and said to the trusty men : What
harm then have I done to Khikar, that he has devised such
a snare for me ? Wherefore hath he returned evil for good ?
And Nathan took the king, and went to the Plain of the
Eagles. But I, Khikar, when I heard of the setting out of the
king, had prepared my forces and arrayed them over against him,
according as it had been written in the dispatch at the behest of
the king.
When the king saw my forces he was sorely troubled. And
Nathan said : Be not troubled, my king : for I will bring
Khikar my father into thy presence.
The king said: If thou shouldst bring Khikar before me,
mighty presents will I give thee, and all the royal affairs shall be
transacted by thee; for thou hast been found a trusty servant
before me. And the king went back into his palace.
honourable and pleasing hath seemed unto the king this preparing
of thy cavalry in array. Therefore hath he sent me to thee, to
say: All thou hast done, thou hast done well and wisely. So
then give orders to thy forces to go to yonder place, and do thou
come, and let us make merry together. And I Khikar went forth,
I was now worthy of honour ; but I knew not of the penalty, for
I was innocent.
And the king said to me Thou
: Khikar, chief notary and sage,
I set thee up as a ruler over ray household of Nineveh and Assyria,
and I made thee my counsellor, and thou hast betrayed me into
the hands of my oppressors.
And he gave me the letter, jvhich Nathan had written, and in
it was imitated my handwriting and seal. But when I read it,
the fetters and for the halter, and thy feet for the iron. The king
addressed Abusmak my comrade and said : Take Khikar and slay
him, and remove his head afar from him, 100 ells. And I fell on
my face, and kissed the earth before the king, and said : My lord
the king, thou hast willed me to slaying, but I am conscious of
having sinned in nothing against my king. So then command
that they shall slay me in my own house, and carry my body unto
burial.
while I am still alive. And thou shalt make bread, and prepare
a table, adorned with all good things, for Abusmak and the
Parthians that are with me. These thou shalt go out to meet,
and shalt lead them into the house.
And Arphestan my wife immediately did what I had com-
manded, and they set out to my house. And Abusmak and the
Parthians lay down, and my wife set the table before them and
waited on them. And I went in with them to eat bread, but
discern God with thine eyes, and remember the love of our
brotherhood. And sin not against my blood, for thou knowest
that I am innocent. But remember also this, that the Sire of
Senekarim gave thee into my hands for slaying ; and I wronged
thee not, for I knew that thou wast innocent. And I kept thee
until the king made a request; and then I led thee before him
and the king gave me mighty gifts. This do thou likewise, and
slay me not ; there is my slave whose name is Seniphar and very
like unto me is he. And he is in prison, because he is under
sentence of death. So then lead me into prison ; but dress him
up in my garments and cast him to the Parthians, for them to
And Nathan went off to the house of Khikar, but with him
there was no concern for mourning. And he collected all his
favourites to drink wine and make great good cheer, instead of
mourning commanded. Using force to the favourites
as the king
of meat. And when Pharaoh heard that Khikar was slain, he was
very glad, and wrote a letter to the king Senekarim, containing
riddles. And the king called Nathan and said : Write an answer
to this letter. (But Nathan said : Difficult is the matter. Who
78 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAE
is able to give an answer thereto ?)^ And the king was distressed
and said Alas for Khikar my secretary and wise man.
:
But when Pharaoh learned that they could not give an answer
to his writing he sent a puissant army and they took tribute from
Senekarim. And as long as Khikar languished in the prison the
burden of Pharaoh was multiplied on Asorestan and Nineveh.
Those who were under the hand of Senekarim were also much
impoverished, and all the land laid waste, and the chambers of the
royal treasury were empty.
And the king in his trouble said: Alas for Khikar, my
secretary and wise man. He who should give thee to me alive,
satraps and his magnates, and Nathan read the letter of Pharaoh
the king. And they were perplexed and said To such a problem
:
Khikar could give answer ; and now Nathan, who is in his place,
will give answer to this difficult problem.
But when Nathan heard this he cried aloud and said King, :
live for ever. Such a matter as this the gods could not make
answer to. Surely then not men ?
When the king heard this he was very troubled. He rose
from his throne and sat on sackcloth, struck his person and said
Alas for Khikar, able notary and wise. On the words of a lying
1 The words in brackets are omitted in Bodl. g. 9. I supply them from Canon
137.
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 79
man I slew thee. Yet there is none like thee, and there is no
successor to thee in the royal gate. If anyone gave thee to me,
I would weigh him against gold and buy thee. When Abusmak
learned the deep distress of the king, he said : My lord king, he
that despises the behests of his lord, and fulfils them not, is guilty
of death. Now then this word of mine is fulfilled in me. For
I have not fulfilled the behests of my king. Thou didst order me
to slay Khikar, and yet he is still alive.
But I took and read it, and said to the king Send yon envoys :
to return to their place. And I later on will set out, and fulfil
wings were firm set and strong, and they came and went in their
soaring, then I fixed to them a box of wood, leaving the top side
open. And they placed the children in it, and I trained the
eaglets so that they should soar up into the air, and thus I taught
them many days. And there was in the hands of each of the
80 THE WISDOM OP KHIKAR
And at dawn Pharaoh went forth and called me, and said:
Here above the city I would like to have it built, in order that
I may look over the city, and rejoice. And I said : King, live for
ever. Give wages to the artists, for them to come and build.
Said Pharaoh : I swear by my head, that whenever I see thy
artists mount up in the air to build the palace, I will give thee
much gold and silver.
So I went away and got things ready, and let the birds fly
and they took their way, and rose and went up into the air, even
as they had been taught to do by me ; and the children cried
Bring up lime and mortar ; the artists are idle.
and adorned me, as well as the artists. And he said : Take the
craftsmen to thy lodgings, but do thou come to me, for me to ask
Egypt to Assyria, then how did your mares hear the neighing of
our steeds and miscarry ?
When the king heard this, he was much troubled and said
Come and guess what I will ask of thee. There was a pillar, and
on the pillar twelve cedars, and on each cedar there were thirty
wheels and on each wheel two estafets, one black and one white.
I answered : The pillar you mention is the year, and the cedars
are the twelve months of the year; the thirty wheels are the
thirty days of the month, and the two estafets are day and night.
King Pharaoh said: Weave me a rope of sand, nine ells in
length and one palm' in thickness.
But I said: My lord king, order them to bring a model
out of thy treasury, in order that I may see it, and make my rope
on its pattern, lest it be a shadow or too fine spun. And Pharaoh
said: In my treasury, there is no such model; but unless you
weave it, you shall not carry away the silver which you sought by
means of your wisdom, and which I promised to give.
Then I thought deeply, and at the back of the house I pierced
the wall where the morning sun shone; and when the dawn
gleamed through, I mixed dust with sand, and threw it in the
L. A. L
S2 THE WISDOM OF KHIKAR
table, and bestowed great presents upon me, and gave me the
bullion which I had asked for, and sent me on my way in peace.
But came back and reached my lord Senekarim, who came forth
I
to meet me, and welcomed me with great joy, and said to me:
Ask of me whatever thou wilt and I will give it thee. But
I kissed the ground before the king and said Whatever thou :
him to my pillar of iron, of which the weight was 700 utres and ;
son Nathan.
1. Son Nathan, him that with his ears hears not, they make
to hear through his back and flanks.
Said Nathan : Wherefore art thou angry with thy sister's son ?
camel, and he set his foot hard upon that scorpion and crushed it,
saying : Caitiff, knewest thou not that thy power was under my
feet?
4. Son, thou hast been to me like a goat which was eating
ARMENIAN RECENSION B 83
madder. Says the madder : Why eatest thou me, if with my root
they dye thy skin? Said the goat: I in my life time eat thee,
but after my death they pluck up thy root, and prepare my skin.
5. Son, thou hast been to me like him that shot an arrow up
to the heaven ; although he was not able to reach thereunto, yet
he reaped the reward of his impiety; for the arrow returned upon
his head.
5 a. Son, the maggot of the bread ate the body of the king,
but was itself of no use to anyone nor profitable but vile.
ass, and said : Peace be unto thee. The young ass said to him
Peace to yonder lord of mine, who hath loosed the cord from my
feet, and let me behold thy face.
7. Son, thou though test thus, saying : I will fill the place
of Khikar; but if the pig's tail should be about nine ells long,
behold me.
12. Son, a dog which abandons its master will become the prey
of the wolf.
13. Son, a hand which I nurtured and helps me not, from the
14. Son, eyes that give me no light, let the ravens pluck
15. Son, I have shown unto thee the face of the gods and the
palace ; and thou didst cast me down from my glory.
16. Son, thou hast been to me like the tree which they were
cutting down. Said the tree: If what is in thy hand were not
from me, thou wert not able to overcome me.
17. Son, thou hast been to me as the cat, to whom they said
Give up thy ordinary manners, and it shall be free to thee to
enter the palace. But the cat said : If my eyes were of silver
and my paws of gold, I yet would not give up my customary
life.
18. Son Nathan, I gave thee to feast upon all my good things
but thou hast prevented my having bread of dust.
19. Son, I anointed thee with sweet oil, and I clad thee in
against God, and He forgives them. Forgive me, and sin not against
me, and I will be for thee a worthless slave, like one of those that
transgress.
22. Khikar said : Son, a certain man had planted a palm tree
on the banks of the river, and continually did the fruit fall into
the river. The lord of the tree came to cut it down, but the palm
tree said : Leave me this year, nor cut me down and ; in the next
year I will bear fruit, and not cast it into the river. The lord of
the tree said : Thou in thy season hast borne me no fruit, and now
that I would cut thee down, how wilt thou become useful ?
23. Son, they said to the wolf: Keep away from the fold. It
24. Son, the tail of a dog wins him bread, but his mouth
a cudgel.
25. In the same hour Nathan swelled up and burst asunder.
Then said Khikar
Son, he that doeth well to the good, will meet with good ; and
he that diggeth a pit for his neighbour, fills it with his own
person. He that loveth evil is hateful to many, and he that
pursues the good inherits it.
TRANSLATION OF OLD TURKISH TEXT
IV. Alas. My Lords and Gods, of the first Belshim was the
name, of the second Shillim was the name, of the third the name
was Shahmil —be so good, give ye unto me a male child. For
behold, Khikar, living in him, dies not.
V. Let not the children of men say that Khikar the Wise,
the eloquent, is dead ; and that child he had none who might bury
him, and of his property (say), it is mine. Only let there be a son,
and if this day ten talents of gold shall be flung outside ; it will
Take thy brother's son for thyself, and nourish him, and let him
grow up. After thyself thy place shall be his.
of wild honey.
IX. And I laid him to rest upon pillows of the down (?) of eagles
and of doves, until he was seven years of age. Thereafter I began
to teach him writing, philosophy and wisdom, knowledge of the
world, all sorts of actions, excellence and art of contradictory
answer and speech.
X. By day and night I ceased not to instruct him, and sated
him with understanding and wisdom, as anyone might be sated
with water and with bread.
XI. Furthermore after that the king called me to his side and
said as follows
Wise Khikar I behold thee that thou art grown old. After
thee who shall be perfect in eloquence, and in wisdom also service-
able to my kingdom ? I am greatly distressed at this thing.
it not be that thou eye her with desire. If thou gavest thy
possessions in their entirety thou wouldst find the profit of thine
envious gazing to be no other than that thou receive con-
demnation from God and from mankind. For the reason that a
woman resembles a beautiful tomb ; that tomb's interior is full of
carnage and stench of death.
3. My son, be not like unto an almond tree, which of all trees
is first to bear flowers, but of all trees bears its fruit last. Rather
be like unto the mulberry tree, which is the last to flower, and the
first to bear fruit.
4. My son, it is better in company of a man of understanding
to haul stones around, than with a foolish man to drink wine.
6. My son, with men of understanding be not foolish and with
the foolish be not understanding.
6. My son, keep interest with the clever, if thou hast not
become clever as they. Let it not be that thou become a com-
panion of witless and foolish men; or they will call thee too
foolish and witless.
1.0. My son, a rich child ate a snake, they said that it was
medicine for him. A poor man's son might eat it, they would say
he ate it out of hunger.
Therefore eat thine own portion, and rest not thine eye on thy
neighbour's wife, nor on his property. Nor walk on thy road with
a man who is without fear of God, or with one who dissuades
from peace ; nor eat bread either with the like of him.
TRANSLATION OF OLD TURKISH TEXT 89
11. My son, shouldst thou behold thine enemy fallen, jibe not
nor make mockery of him. If he should rise erect, he would do
thee harm,
18. My son, love thy father and thy mother, who bore thee.
Thou wilt not receive their curse. Because a blessing of God, of
father and of mother, remains like ... his curse. For thou shalt
rejoice in thyself. . . from thy children.
12. My son, a bad . . . will fall according to his badness : but a
good child will rise and stand according to his goodness.
13. My son, draw not nigh unto a bad and useless woman.
For men will for ever make thee an object for their ill-speaking, of
opprobrium also and insult. Hastening thy departure, flee from
the like of her.
14. My son, from the stick, from teaching, spare not in pity
thy child. That stick is to the child, as if thou shouldst spread
manure in a garden and also as a seal upon a letter. In the same
;
way it is good to repeat the blow upon the child. If once or twice
daily he be chastised with a rod, he is thereby rendered gentle, and
he dies not of it. If thou leave him to himself, he will become
a thief; and they will take him off to hang him or behead him, and
he will become for thee in consequence thereof a... Never out
of your mind will it pass away.
road, pass not along the road. Perchance thine enemy will ambush
thy road, and thou shalt die untimely.
20. My son, let it not be that thou say " my superior is silly
Rather submit to his silliness and draw nigh to the wise, in order
26. Any gold ring that is not thine, keep it not on thy finger
and any garment that is not thine, put it not on ; and any horse
whatever that is not thine, mount him not, lest thou become an
object of mockery.
27. My son, even if thou be hungry, any bread which is not
thine, eat not of it.
thy heart ; from God it will be good for thee, and it will increase
thy life.
31. My son, receive not with a big measure, and give not with
a little one ; and say not : I have made a profit. Such gain as
the rich man is made poor, and the poor is made rich ; and the
lowly becometh great, and the great man is brought low.
36. My son, if thy neighbour should be sick, say not : What
can I have taken to him ? Rather go on thine own feet to his
side and see him with thine own eyes. Thy greeting of the sick
man is better than if thou gavest him gold or silver.
Later on thine own wife shall fall to thy neighbour, for him to trip
her up, and therefrom will accrue unto thee opprobrium.
40. My son, let it not be that thou take unto thyself a widowed
woman for thy wife. For let any dispute about aught arise
between you both, she will bethink her of her first master, and
thou wilt sorrow and be distressed.
41. My son, if a trial of any kind befall thee from God, be
it not that thou do lightly murmur, lest he send thy past evil
irretrievably, and remove thee untimely from the world. Rather
be thou, whatever fate shall come from God, thankful; because
thankful lips render a debt of 500-fold on God.
42. My son, love not thy child more than thy slave. Thou
knowest not which of them and on what scale will be useful to thee.
44. My son, ever in thine own mind, reflect well ; and honour
the old people, in order that thou mayest be honoured of God and
good accrue to thee.
46. My son, during the season of thy youth be not over-bearing,
that during thy season thou perish not.
47. My son, grant not to thy neighbour that he tread upon
thy foot, lest he also tread on thy neck.
48. My son, with whomsoever thou standest before a judge,
let it not be that thou address him with petulance; rather however
92 TftANSLATiON OF OLD TURglSH TEXT
they speak, make answer softly, and that judge shall swoop down
upon him.
49. My son, if from God thou makest petition for pardon, first
of all submit thyself to His behests with a calf of one year old, and
with fasting and with prayer. After that God will fulfil thy
petition.
lock it up in thy heart seven fathoms deep. The evil will die and
turn to goodness.
57. My son, laugh not idly at all. From such a laugh is en-
gendered strife, and from such strife is engendered death.
58. My son, a false word and falsehood are as heavy as lead
a few days afterwards they drift along the road like the leaf of a
tree.
he should not make thy counsel public, then thou shalt communicate
to him also thy important counsels, and thou shalt keep him a faith-
ful and upright friend.
pardon, pardon, him, and in thy heart laugh; and ia his presence
rejoice and favour him.
62. My son, they that shall not invite thee to honour, go not
unto them ; and if anyone asks not a word of thee, give him no
answer. And therefore walk not with thy feet incontinently on
any waters that are not frozen over, lest thou perish untimely.
66. My son, make trial of thy child with hunger and thirst
and poverty and old tattered raiment. If he be patient, give thy
possessions into his hand.
67. My son, whenever they invite thee to a dance or to a
wedding, join it. Thou shalt depart first before any of thy comrades
and shalt not go there again a second time. So from God thou
winnest a good name, and receivest not wounds upon thy head.
70. My son, if thou be poor, make it not manifest among thy
companions, lest thou be made a butt and lest they give no ear
unto thy word.
74. My son, open not thy secrets nor thy saddlebags unto thy
wife, for this reason, that a female is not able to keep a secret.
She will publish it to her brethren and make a quarrel of it, and
they will strike thee dead.
75. My son, if thou be given to drinking, guard thy tongue
from babbling. For thee it will be better, and thou wilt be called
wise.
either thou wilt find a friend like him, or thou wilt not find one.
79. My son, it is better thy possessions should be stolen, than
that theft should be brought home against thee.
80. My son, to whomsoever God is bountiful, him do thou
honour. Shouldst thou behold thine elders, remove thy fur cap
He knows not that, if he meets with any intelligent and brave man
whatever, he will quickly smite him, a fugitive from his arm, to the
ground and slay him.
97. My son, if thou see thine enemy, that he is lying on the
ground, do thou be sorry, for the reason that thou wilt make a
friend for thyself If thou wilt hit him, he will rise up and do
thee mischief
98. My son, a man very drunk imagines that the earth is
going round near him. He knows not that his head is goiug
round ; because the earth is of all fruits the mother, and similarly,
but yet more, drink is mother of all evils. By brutalising man, it
Four things there are which increase the light of a man's eye
First he will look in some locality upon the flowers
Secondly with naked sole he will walk upon the turf;
Thirdly he will walk in running water
Fourthly he will behold travellers from afar.
103. Again there are four things that fatten a son of man;
96 TRANSLATION OF OLD TURKISH TEXT
105. Again, four things there are that for ever render a son
of man self-respecting : a good word : poverty practised : few words
spoken : and respect for a great personage.
106. Again there are four things which bring water (tears) to
107. Again, as they ask the wise Khikar : what in the world
is most delightful ? Khikar answered : shamefacedness, whosoever
is shamefaced, he is pleasant ; because every evil whatever springs
from idleness.
and drove him from my side, and said : Henceforth never shall my
property be thine.
111. Forthwith the wretch began to malign me to the king,
murderous deed. Do ye cut off his head instead of mine, but hide
me. I shall be of use some day to my king.
So they hid Khikar and decapitated the man.
113.
was noised abroad to the king, that Khikar had been
114. It
beheaded and Assyria lapsed into great mourning.
;
117. Senekarim the King called together his high officers and
published the document by trumpet. Said the King: Who can
give answer to this thing ?
being afraid of King Pharaoh, lest with a mighty army the latter
should assail him.
121. And king Senekarim said : If anyone could resuscitate
.Khikar for me, I would give him the half of my kingdom.
. Abusmak by name, an
122. officer, came forward and said:
once Khikar and set him once more before the king ; but Khikar
had contracted mighty filth (on his person).
123. The king gazed, and was greatly rejoiced, and said : This
is the blessed by God. For this day he has resuscitated Khikar
from death. Thereupon the ruler sent him away, saying : Go thou,
L. A. N
98 TRANSLATION OF OLD TURKISH TEXT
and wash, and get fat ; and on the fortieth day thou shalt present
thyself before me.
124. As soon as, after forty days, I came to the side of the
king, he said Your Highness, hast thou heard what embassy hath
:
126. And he came with great rejoicing and great gifts from
Pharaoh the King to King Senekarim. He advanced to meet the
king with the magnates.
127. Again there came certain men who took to flight when
they heard that Khikar was alive.
said : My son, a good action being done begets good, and a bad
action done, begets evil.
134. And whoso for another digs, into his pit he falls himself.
thee ; but behold Nadan thy sister's son ; make him thy son so ;
having been compounded with one that had Thereupon Ahikar.' A comparison
'
with the Tobit-parallels shows that the second clause is a modification of the
first.
3. My son, do not tell all that thou seest, and do not disclose
all that thou hearest.
4. My son, do not loose a knot that is sealed ; and do not seal
10. Better to remove stones with the wise man than to drink
to murder,' which is a simpler and more archaic form of the same precept.
2 This difficult expression is replaced in Sj by the easier terms would never be '
released.' In either ease the meaning is obscure. Quaere, ' if brute force were
sufficient, the camel might go on ploughing by himself?
FROM THE SYRIAC 101
14. My son, the rich man eats a snake, and they say. For
his medicine he ate it : the poor man eats it, and they say,
Because of his hunger he ate it.
15. My son, eat thy portion, and stretch not out thy hand
over that of thy neighbour.
16. My son, do not eat bread with a man that is shameless.
17. My son, if thou seest thine enemy fallen, do not mock at
him ; lest he should rise up and repay thee.
be born to thee^: and the wealth that I had acquired was too vast
'
Presumably, this was said by the astrologers.
102 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR
to tell. Sixty wives had I wedded ; and sixty castles did I build
them : and I had no son. Thereupon I, Ahikar, built me a great
altar, all of wood ; and kindled fire upon it, and laid good meat
thereon, and thus I spake
'
Lord, my God when ; I shall die and leave no son, what
will men say of me ? they will say that this, then, is Ahikar
the just and good and God-serving : he is dead, and has left no
son to bury him, no! nor a daughter: and his possessions, as if
honey, and made him lie on choice carpets, and clothed him in
fine linen and purple and ray son grew and shot up like a cedar,
;
and when my son was grown big, I taught him book-lore and
wisdom and when the king came from the place to which he had
;
have a son, wise like myself, and book-learned like myself, and
educated.' And the king said to me, 'Bring him and let me
see him. If he is able to stand before me, I will release
thee in peace, and thou shalt spend thy old age in honour,
until thou shalt end thy days.' Then I took my son Nadan
FROM THE SYRIAC 103
and set him before the king, and when my lord the king saw
him, he said, 'This day shall be a blessed day before God, so
that like as Ahikar walked' before my father Sarhadum, and
before me also, he shall be rewarded" and I will set his son in my
gate in his lifetime, and he shall depart his life [in peace]. There-
upon I, Ahikar, bowed down before the king and said, '
My lord
the king, live for ever ! And like as I walked before thy father
and before thyself even until now, so do thou also extend thy
mouth and burn thee, and thou lay a blemish on thy soul, and
be angered against God.
3. My son, do not tell all that thou hearest, and do not
disclose all that thou seest.
4. My son, do not loose a knot that is sealed, and do not seal
5. My son, lift not up thy eyes and look upon a woman that
is bedizened and painted ; and do not covet her in thy heart ; for
if thou shouldest give her all that is in thy hands, thou findest no
Cf. Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, o. iv. 'Him that speaketh to thee the
8
word of God, thou shalt remember night and day, and thou shalt honour him as
the Lord.'
104 THE LEGEND OF AHI?;AR
10. My son, pour out thy wine on the graves of the righteous,
rather than drink it with evil men.
11. My son, with a wise man thou wilt not be depraved, and
with a depraved man thou wilt not become wise.
12. My son, associate with the wise man, and thou wilt become
wise like him; and associate not with a garrulous and talkative
man, lest thou be numbered with him.
13. My son, while thou hast shoes on thy feet, tread down
the thorns and make a path for thy sons and for thy sons' sons.
14. My son, the rich man eats a snake, and they say. He
ate it for medicine. And the poor man eats it, and they say.
15. My son, eat thy portion, and despise not thy neighbours.
16. My son, with a shameless man it is not fit even to eat\
17. My son, envy not the prosperity of thy enemy; and
rejoice not at his adversity^.
not after her in thy heart because the beauty of a woman is her
:
' Of. 1 Cor. V. 11, idv Tis...5 Tr6pvos...T(fi Toioirip /iriSi aweadUui.
2 Cf. Prov. xxiv. 17, cAi' triar) 6 exBpbs ffov, piii iwixapv^ airf.
FROM THE SYRIAG 105
20. My son, if thine enemy meet thee with evil, meet thou
him with wisdom ^
21. My son, the wicked falleth and riseth not; but the just
man is not moved, for God is with him.
22. My son, withhold not thy son from stripes; for the
runaway nor a maid that is thievish : lest they destroy all that
thou hast gotten.
25. My son, the words of a liar are like fat sparrows ; and he
that is void of understanding eateth them.
26. My son, bring not upon thee the curses of thy father and
of thy mother, lest thou rejoice not in the blessings of thy
children.
and a bosky mountain in its trees, so is a man fair in his wife and
weans ; and he that hath not brethren, nor wife nor weans, is
L. A.
106 THE LEGEND OF AHIIJAR
31. My son, lie not in thy speech before thy lord, lest thou be
convicted, and he shall say to thee, '
Away from my sight
!
32. My son, let thy words be true, in order that thy lord may
say to thee, '
Draw near me,' and thou shalt live.
33. My son, in the day of thy calamity revile not God ; lest
thou knowest not which of them thou wilt have need of at the
last.
35. My son, smite with stones the dog that has left his own
master and followed after thee.
36. My son, the flock that makes many tracks becomes the
portion of the wolves.
37. My son, judge upright judgment in thy youth, in order
that in thy age thou mayest have honour.
38. My son, sweeten thy tongue and make savoury the
opening of thy mouth ; for the tail of a dog wins him bread, and
his mouth gets him blows.
39. My son, suffer not thy neighbour to tread on thy foot,
thou smite the fool with many blows, he will not understand.
41. My son, send a wise man and give him no orders but ; if
thou wilt send a fool, go rather thyself and send him not.
42. My son, test thy son with bread and water, and then
thou canst leave in his hands thy possessions and thy wealth.
43. My son, withdraw at the first cup, and tarry not for
the 73rd proverb), and translate 'tarry not for sweet unguents.'
FROM THE SYRIAC 107
have not seen anything heavier than that a man should pay back
a debt which he did not borrow^.
46. My son, I have carried iron and removed stones; and
they were not heavier on me than a man who settles in the house
of his father-in-law.
47. My son, teach hunger and thirst to thy son, that accord-
blind of heart ; for the blind of eye straightway learneth the road
and walketh in it : but the blind of heart leaveth the right way
and goeth into the desert.
it shall go ill with her, she will curse thee ; and if it shall go well
with her, she will not remember thee.
1 Cf. Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, '
Be not angry; for anger leads to murder :
nor contentious.'
' Lit. judge not.
2 Heading jslmI^ re'A.
« Cf . Siraoh iv. 26 ; the Syriac reading, Stand not up against a fool
'
' may
perhaps be explained, not as suggested above by a confusion between 7113 and 733,
71. My son, the hand that was satisfied and is now hungry
will not give, nor the hand that was hungry and is now
satisfied.
72. My son, let not thine eyes look upon a woman that is
beautiful ; and be not inquisitive into beauty that does not belong
to thee: because many have perished through the beauty of
woman, and her love has been as a fire that burneth.
73. My son, let the wise man strike thee with many blows,
and let not the fool salve thee with sweet salved
74. My son, let not thy foot run after thy friend, lest he be
surfeited with thee and hate thee.
75. My son, put not a gold ring on thy finger, when thou
hast not [wealth]^; lest fools make mock of thee.
This is the teaching which Ahikar taught to Nadan his sister's
son.
and stands at the door of his grave; and his intelligence has
which lieth to the south, on the 25th day of the month Ab. And
I will bring thee into Nineveh without war and thou shalt seize
the kingdom.' And he made these writings of his like to my own
handwriting ; and he sealed them in the king's palace, and went
his way.
And he wrote further another letter to me, as if from my lord
the south, on the 25th day of the month Ab. And when thou
seestme approaching to thee, array thy forces against me, like
a man that is ready for battle for ambassadors of Pharaoh the
:
king of Egypt are come to me that they may see what forces ;
I have.'
And my son Nadan sent this letter to me by the hands of
two of the king's servants.
And thereupon my son Nadan took the letters that he had
written, as if he had actually found them ; and he read them
before the king; and when my lord the king heard them, he
lamented and said, ' O God, wherein have I sinned against Ahikar,
that he should do unto me on this fashion ?
' And my son Nadan
answered and said to the king, 'My lord, do not fret nor rage.
Arise and let us go to Eagles' dale on the day that is written
by him in the letter. And if it be true, then all that thou
commandest shall be done.'
So my son Nadan took the king my lord, and they came to me
at Eagles' dale ; and they found me having with me great forces
that were gathered there. And when I saw the king, I put my
forces in array against him, as it was written in the letter. And
when the king saw it, he was much afraid.
Then my son Nadan answered and said him Let it not
to :
'
disturb thee, my lord the king. Return and come into thy
chamber^ in peace : and I will bring
. Ahikar before thee.'
and I sought for a single word from the words of wisdom and I
found me none. And my son Nadan answered and said to me,
'Away with thee from the king's sight, thou foolish old man : and,
give thy hands to bonds and thy feet to iron fetters.'
Then Sennacherib the king turned away his face from me,
and he talked with Nabusemakh^ and said to him, 'Arise,
go slay Ahikar, and separate his head a hundred ells from his
body.'
Then I fell on my face on the ground and worshipped the
king, and I said, '
My lord the king, live for ever. Seeing, my lord,
that it hath pleased thee to kill me, thy will be done. I know,
however, that I have not sinned against thee. But command
them, my lord the king, that they kill me at the door of my
house: and let them give my body to burial.'
And the king said to Nabusemakh'' , 'Go, kill Ahikar at
the door of his house, and give his body to burial.' Thereupon I,
Ahikar, sent to Eshfagni my wife that she should bring forth from
the daughters of my tribe maids a thousand and one : and let them
put on raiment of mourning, and let them wail and lament and weep
over me. And let them come to meet me, and let them make a
funeral feast' over me before I die. And prepare thou bread and a
table Nabusemakh*
and a banquet and his Parthians that
for
are with him, and come to meet them, and receive them and bring
them into my house. And I too will come into the house as a
guest.
1 ' Tabnsemakh Meskin Kanti which ' I do not understand ; the correction of
the first part of the name is obvious. Possibly it should be Nabusumuskiu my
'
colleague.' Compare the form as given in the Aramaic papyrus and in the Arabic.
^ Ut supra. 3 Lit. a house of weepiijg. ''
Ut supra.
FROM THE SYRIAC 113
hand she served them, until they fell asleep from drunkenness,
every man in his place.
Thereat I, Ahikar, entered and said to Nabusemakh^ 'Look
towards God, and remember the love that there was between us,
brother and grieve not over my death and remember that thee
: :
L. A. p
114 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR
that Ahikar, the Secretary, was dead and when the men heard it, :
thejr wept; and the women disfigured' their faces and said: 'Alas
for thee Ahikar the wise Secretary, thou fence of the breaches of
!
our country for Jike thee there will never be any one to us.'
:
him the vain and lewd folk, and set them down at my table, with
singing and with great joy ; and my beloved servants and hand-
maidens he stripped and flogged without mercy. Nor had he any
reverence of my wife Eshfagni, but sought to do with her the way
of man with woman. And I, Ahikar, was cast into darkness in
the pit beneath. And I was hearing the voice of my bakers, cooks
and butlers as they wept and sobbed within my house.
And after a few days came Nabusemakh^...and opened [my
prison] over me^ and comforted me; and set before me bread
and water ; and I said to him, '
When thou goest forth from me,
remember me before God, and say, God, just and righteous,
and that showest grace upon the earth, hear the voice of thy
[I pray thee].'
heaven and earth, wherefore seek out and send me from thy king-
dom a man who is a skilled architect, that he may give me reply
concerning all that I shall ask him. And when thou shalt send
me such a man, I will collect and send thee the revenue of Egypt
for three years : and if thou send me not a man who shall give me
reply concerning all that I ask him, then do thou collect and send
me the tribute of Assyria and Nineveh for three years, by the
hands of these ambassadors that come to thee.'
And when this letter was read before the king, he cried out to
all the nobles and franklins of his kingdom, and said unto them
'
Which of you will go to Egypt to give reply to the king concern-
ing all that he shall ask him ? And he shall build him the castle
that he planneth, and bring back the three years' tribute of Egypt
and come hither.'
And when the nobles heard this, they answered and said unto
the king ;
'
My lord the king, thou knowest that not only in the
years of thy reign, but also in the years of thy father Sarhadum,
Ahikar the Secretary was in the habit of resolving questions like
iri TTjv yrjv Ka8eSovvTai,..Kal arevi^ovaiv iirl ae • koX \fi\j/ovTai. itrl ae BpTJi/ov Kal ipoOfflv
aoi. ...
^ Ut supra.
116 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR
that they crucify me. For Ahikar, whom thou didst command me
to slay, is yet alive.'
And when the king heard these words, he answered and said,
'
Speak on, speak on, Nabusemakh', speak on, thou good and
clever man, unskilled in evil. If it is indeed as thou sayest, and
thou show me Ahikar alive, then I will give thee presents of silver,
the king, that, if there be not found before thee other sins of mine,
the sin shall not be remembered against me.' And the king gave
him his right hand on this matter. And forthwith the king
mounted his chariot, and came unto me in haste, and opened [my
prison] over me, and I ascended and came and fell before the king
the hair ofmy head had grown down on my shoulders, and my
beard reached my breast and my body was foul with the dust,
;
sinned against thee, Ahikar ; but thy son whom thou broughtest
up, he it was that siimed against thee.' Thereupon I answered and
said to him, '
Because I have seen thy face, my lord, no evil is in
and shave off thy hair, and wash thy body, and recover thy strength"
forty days ; and after that come to me.'
make him answer concerning all that he may ask me : and I will
bring back with me the three years' tribute of Egypt.' And when
the king heard these things he rej oiced with a great j oy and he gave :
1 Cod. Yabusemakh. " Dan. v. 16. ^ Cod. Yabuaemakh. * Dan. iv. 33.
s Lit. let thy soul come into thee. " Lit. my soul was in order upon me.
FROM THE SYRIAC 117
one's little finger. And bid the carpenters to make me cages for
the young eagles : and deliver over Ubael and Tabshelim, the two
boys, who do not yet know how to talk, and let them teach them
to say on this wise :
" Give the builders mud, mortar, tiles, bricks,
come the man whom the king of Assyria has sent.' And the king
commanded and gave me a place to reside in ; and on the following
day I came in before him and worshipped him and enquired after
his health^. And the king answered and said unto me, What is '
thy name ?
And I said to him, My name is Abikam one of
'
'
:
king, thou art like to the sun, And and thy nobles to his rays.'
to-morrow.' And again the king commanded his nobles, On the '
and thy nobles to the stars.' And again he said to me, '
Go to thy
the doors of the palace' be covered with red hangings.' And the
to him, '
My lord the king, thou art like to the month Nisan, and
thy nobles to its flowers.' Then the king said to me, ' The first
The second time thou hast compared me to the sun, and my nobles
to its rays. The third time thou hast compared me to the moon,
and my nobles to the stars. And the fourth time thou hast
likened me to Nisan, and my nobles to the flowers thereof And
now tell me, Abikam, to what is thy lord like ?
' And I answered
Dan. iv. 18, 'Then the king went to his palace a'?3'n.' Cf. also 1 Beg. xxi. 1;
2 Beg. XX. 18 &a.
^ '
Dressed in tapestry.'
FROM THE SYRIAC 119
of thy lord, I adjure thee tell me what is thy name ? ' And I
answered and said to him, I am
Ahikar the Secretary and Great
'
1 An erasure has been made of two words, and these are now illegible.
Perhaps the original text was the God of Heaven,' which was erased to make way
'
for the idol Bel,' but this correction was a stupid one, seeing that Pharaoh has
'
himself been compared to the great God Bel hence perhaps a final erasure. The
;
'
Perhaps in this letter there is a word that was never heard by
thee.' And when I read it before the king and before his nobles,
they cried out, as they were ordered by the king to do, and said,
'
This has been heard by all of us, and it is so.' Whereupon I
between earth and heaven. Its height from the earth shall be
one thousand fathoms.' Then I brought out the young eagles
and bound the ropes to their feet, and set the boys on their
Ahikar, took a switch and beat the king's nobles, till they all
took to flight. Then the king was indignant with me, and said
to me, '
Thou art gone clean mad, Ahikar who is able to carry :
the king said to Have done with the castle, Ahikar, and go
nie, '
foals miscarry.' Then I went forth from the king's presence, and
the streets of the city ; and when the Egyptians saw it, they went
and told the king that Ahikar had lifted himself^ up against our
people and makes mock of us. '
For he has caught a cat and
whips it in the streets of our city.' And the king sent for me
and called me and ; I came into his presence. And he said to me,
'
In what way art thou insulting us ?
' and I answered and said to
him, '
This cat has seriously damaged me in no slight matter
for a cock had been entrusted to me by my lord, whose voice was
^ has acted wickedly (?)
FROM THE SYRIAC 121
And in this past night this cat went to Assyria and tore off the
head of mine and returned.' And the king answered
this cock of
and said toAs far as I can see, Ahikar, since thou art grown
me, '
old thou art become stark mad. For it is 360 parasangs from
here to Assyria; and how canst thou say that in a single night
this cat went and cut off the head of the cock and came back ?
Assyria, how do thy mares in this place hear the voice of the
horse of my lord, and their foals miscarry ? And when the king '
heard this, he was sore vexed, and he said to me, Ahikar, expound '
the king, the ox-herds in our country understand this riddle that
thou tellest. The pillar of which thou hast spoken to me is the
year: the twelve cedars are the twelve months of the year; the
thirty wheels are the thirty days of the month ; the two cables,
one white and one black, are the day and the night.'
Again he said to me, '
Twine me five cables from the sand of
the river.' And I said to him, '
My lord the king, bid them bring
me from thy treasury one rope of sand, and I will make one to
match it.' Then he said to me, '
Unless thou do this, I will not
give thee the Egyptian tribute.' Thereupon I sat down and
calculated in my heart how I should do it. And I went out from
the king's palace^ and bored five holes in the eastern wall of the
palace. And when the sun entered the holes I scattered sand in
them, and the sun's path^ began to appear as if [the sand] were
twined in the holes. Then I said to the king; 'My lord, bid
them take up these, and I will weave you others in their stead.'
And when the king and his nobles saw it, they were amazed.
And again the king commanded to bring me an upper mill-
stone that was broken : and he said to me, '
Ahikar, sew up for us
L. A. Q
122 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR
it, he laughed and The day in which Ahikar was born shall
said, '
be blessed before the God of Egypt and since I have seen thee ;
meet me and received me. And he made it a great day and set
me at the head of his household : and he said to me, '
Ask what
thou wilt, Ahikar '
; and I worshipped the king and said, '
What-
ever thou wiliest to give me, bestow it upon Nabusemakh...';
because he gave me my life ; and for myself, my lord, bid them
give me my son Nadan, that I may teach him a further lesson.
For he has forgotten my former teaching.' And the king com-
manded and gave me my son Nadan and the king said to ; me,
'
Go thy way, Ahikar, and work thy will on thy son Nadan ; for
no man shall rescue his body from thy hands.' Thereupon I took
the chains in rings, and I fastened collars on his neck ; and I struck
him one thousand blows on the shoulders and a thousand and one
on his loins^ and I put him in the porch of the door of my palace,
;
even if the tail of the swine should grow to seven ells, he would
never take the place of the horse : and even if his hair should
become soft and woolly, he would never ride on the back of a free
man'.
My son, I said that thou shouldst be in my place ; and thou
shouldst acquire my house and my wealth, and inherit them.
But God was not pleased therewith and has not heard thy voice.
My son, thou hast been to me as the lion that came upon an
ass in the morning of the day and said to him, Welcome, my lord '
has its revenge on the gazelle 'thy skin shall be dyed with my roots presently.'
;
' We should expect 'the free man would never ride on his back.'
124 THE LEGEND OF AHIIfAK
and did not make my halter fast, so that I had not seen thy face.'
Then the sparrow drew near and took it, and the snare caught
him by the neck. And the sparrow said, as he was being shaken,
'
If this is thy bread for guests, may the God to whom thou
prayest never listen to thy voice.'
My son, thou hast been to me as an ox that was bound with a
lion ; and the lion turned and crushed him.
My son, thou hast been to me like the weevil that is in the
scattered, I have gathered, but thou art shamed with thine evil
[how]^ am I to live ?
companions ^
My son, thou hast been to me like the buck that led his
companions into the slaughter house ; and yet he did not save his
own life.
s
Reading f.-i\^~T.
FROM THE SYRIAC 125
My son, thou hast been to me like the tree that said to its
woodcutters, '
If there had not been somewhat from me in your
hands, ye had not fallen upon me.'
My son, thou hast been to me like the young swallows which fell
out of their nest ; and a cat caught them and said to them, '
If it
had not been for me, great evil would have befallen you.' They
answered and said to her, '
Is that why thou hast put us in thy
mouth ?
My son, thou hast been to me like the cat, to which they say,
'
Leave off thy thievish ways, and thou shalt go out from and come
in to the king's palace, according to thy heart's wish.' And she
answered and said, '
If I should have eyes of silver and ears of
gold, I will not leave off my thieving.'
1
We should have expected, '
that I might remember thee and that my soul
might have comfort in thee.'
126 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR
mothers.
My son, I fed thee with every pleasant meat : and thou, my
son, hast fed me with bread of ashes\ and I was not satisfied
therewith.
My son, I salved thee with sweet salves, and thou, my son,
the earth that it might get possession^ of the sun, because he had
no eyes ; and an eagle saw him and struck him and carried him off.
this my folly : and I will tend thy horses and feed thy pigs which
are in thy house, and I shall be called evil : but thou, devise not
evil against me.'
'
Lit. dust.
^ Lit. receive. Bat perhaps the original was 'that he might see the sun,
though he had no eyes.'
FROM THE SYRIAC 127
that palm tree that stood by a river, and cast all its fruit into the
river, and when its lord came to cut it down, it said to him, '
Let
me alone this year, and I will bring thee forth carobs.' And its
lord said unto it, ' Thou hast not been industrious in what is thine
own, and how wilt thou be industrious in what is not thine own ?
up against good servants, and beatest those that have not sinned
and like as God has kept me alive on account of my righteousness
so hath He destroyed thee for thy works.
My son, they set the head of the ass over a dish at the table,
and he rolled off and fell in the dust. And they say, '
He spites
him whom thou hast begotten, thy son, and him whom thou hast
purchased, thy slave.'
'
The Amir of Afghanistan quotes this saying in the first number of the
Monthly Review p. 38: 'One of the poets says rightly: a lover seems to find
pleasure in the pursuit of his ambitions, as the dust that rises from the feet
of the flock is a salve to the eyes of the wolf
pursuing the flock.'
J. R. H.
AETHIOPIC FRAGMENTS OF THE SAYINGS OF
AHIKAR
He spake as follows
1. Hear, my son, and keep in remembrance my discourse, so
coal and burn thy tongue, and bring derision upon thee and make
thee hateful to God.
2. My son, make fair thy discourse and thy behaviour; for
the wagging of a dog's tail gives him bread, but his jaw brings
him stones.
J. R. H.
L. A.
THE STORY OF HAIQAR AND
NAD AN
i. 81 b In the name of God the Creator, the Living One, the Source
of Reason, we hereby begin, with the help of the Most High God^
and His best guidance, to write the story of Haiqar the Wise,
Vizier of Sennacherib the King, and of Nadan, sister's son to
Haiqar the Sage.
There was a Vizier in the days of King Sennacherib, son of
Sarhadum, king of Assyria and Nineveh, a wise man named
Haiqar, and he was vizier of the king Sennacherib. He had a fine
ness. And they said to him, " Go, sacrifice to the gods and
beseech them that perchance they may provide thee with a boy."
And he did as they told him and offered sacrifices to the idols, and
besought them and implored them with request and entreaty.
And they answered him not one word. And he went away
sorrowful and dejected, departing with a pain at his heart. And
he returned, and implored the Most High God, and believed,
beseeching Him with a burning in his heart, saying, "0 Most High
f. 82 a God, O Creator of the Heavens and of the earth, Creator of all
thou shalt remain childless thy life long. But take Nadan thy
sister's son, and make him thy child and teach him thy learning
and thy good breeding, and at thy death he shall bury thee." There-
upon he took Nadan his sister's son, who was a little suckling.
And he handed him over to eight wet-nurses, that they might
suckle him and bring him up. And they brought him up with
good food and gentle training and silken clothing, and purple
and crimson. And he was seated upon couches of silk. And
when Nadan grew big and walked, shooting up like a tall cedar,
he taught him good manners and writing and science and philo-
sophy. And after many days King Sennacherib looked at Haiqar
and saw that he had grown very old, and moreover he said to him, f. 82 b
" my honoured friend, the skilful, the trusty, the wise, the
governor, my secretary, my vizier, my Chancellor^ and director;
verily thou art grown very old and weighted with years ; and thy
departure from this world must be near. Tell me who shall have
a place in my service after thee." And Haiqar said to him, "
that I may see him : and if I find him suitable, put him in thy
place ; and thou shalt go thy way, to take a rest and to live the
I may honour him and make him powerful for thy sake." And
Haiqar did obeisance to the king and said to him, " May thy head
live, O my lord the king, for ever! I seek from thee that thou
mayest be patient' with my boy Nadan and forgive his mistakes
that he may serve thee as it is fitting.'' Then the king swore to
him that he would make him the greatest of his favourites, and
the most powerful of his friends, and that he should be with him
ia all honour and respect. And he kissed his hands and bade him
farewell. And he took Nadan his sister's son with him and seated
him in a parlour and set about teaching him night and day till he
had crammed him with wisdom and knowledge more than with
bread and water.
Thus he taught him, saying
1. my son! hear my speech and follow my advice and
remember what I say.
2. my son ! if thou hearest a word, let it die in thy heart,
and reveal it not to another, lest it become a live coal and burn
thy tongue and cause a pain in thy body, and thou gain a reproach,
and art shamed before God and man.
3. my son ! if thou hast heard a report, spread it not ; and
f. 83 b if thou hast seen something, tell it not.
6. O my son loose ! not a sealed knot, nor untie it, and seal
1 It is strange to find a great scholar like Burton taking this idiom literally
11. my son ! bend thy head low down, and soften thy voice,
and be courteous, and walk in the straight path, and be not foolish.
And raise not thy voice when thou laughest, [for if it were by a Salhani
^'
loud voice that a house was built, the ass would build many houses
every day ;]
(and if it were by dint of strength that the plough f. 84 a
'
were driven, the plough would never be removed from under the f.'igsa
shoulders of the camels.)
12. my son! the removing of stones with a wise man is
them, and go not near the ignorant, lest thou become like him, and
learn his ways.
15. my when thou hast got thee a comrade or a friend,
son !
try him, and afterwards make him a comrade and a friend and do ;
not praise him without a trial and do not spoil thy speech with a
;
his wisdom," and if a poor man eat it, the people say "From ^'
his hunger."]
18. O my son ! be content with thy. daily bread and thy goods,
19. O my son ! be not neighbour to the fool, and eat not bread
with him, and rejoice not in the calamities of thy neighbours. If
is no drug.
22. my son ! if a man approach thee who is inferior to
23. my son ! spare not to beat thy son, for the drubbing of thy
son is like manure to the garden, and like tying the mouth of a purse,
and like the tethering of beasts, and like the bolting of the door.
wicked deeds.
25. O my son ! get thee a fat ox with a foreskin, and an ass
great with its hoofs, and get not an ox with large horns, nor make
friends with a tricky man, nor get a quarrelsome slave, nor a thievish
handmaid, for everything which thou committest to them they
will ruin.
f. 85 a 26. my son ! let not thy parents curse thee, and the Lord be
pleased with them; for it hath been said, "He who despiseth his
father or his mother let him die the death (I mean the death of
sin); and he who honoureth his parents shall prolong his days and
thou knowest not when the foe may meet thee, so that thou
28. my son! be not like a bare, leafless tree that doth not
FROM THE ARABIC 135
grow, but be like a tree covered with its leaves and its boughs
for the man who has neither wife nor children is a disgrace in the
world and is hated by them, like a leafless and fruitless tree.
29. O my son ! be like a fruitful tree on the roadside, whose
fruit is eaten by all who pass by, and the beasts of the desert rest
under its shade and eat of its leaves.
30. my son ! every sheep that wanders from its path and
its companions becomes food for the wolf.
lords say, "Get away from us," but be one of those to whom they
say, " Approach and come near to us."
33 (0 my son ! caress not thy slave in the presence of his B.M. ms.
companion, for thou knowest not which of them shall be of most
value to thee in the end.)
34. my son ! be not afraid of thy Lord who created thee,
lest He be silent to thee.
35. my son ! make thy speech fair and sweeten thy tongue
and permit not thy companion to tread on thy foot, lest he tread
another time on thy breast.
36. O my son ! if thou beat a wise man with a word of wisdom,
it will lurk in his breast like a subtle sense of shame ; but if thou
drub the ignorant with a stick he will neither understand nor hear.
37. my son ! if thou send a wise man for thy needs, do not
give him many orders, for he will do thy business as thou desirest;
and if thou send a fool, do not order him, but go thyself and do thy
business, for if thou order him, he will not do what thou desirest.
thyself, for he will take thy measure', and his revenge on thee.
f. 86a away with them; for he who hath a full hand is called wise, even
ifhe be stupid and ignorant, and he who hath an empty hand is
called poor, ignorant, even if he be the prince of sages.
40. my son ! I have eaten a colocynth, and swallowed aloes',
and I have found nothing more bitter than poverty and scarcity.
^f^isT'
^^^^' ^^® better than the sound of singing and rejoicing.
49. (0 my child ! the thigh of a frog in thy hand is better than
a goose in the pot of thy neighbour; and a sheep near thee is better
than an ox far away; and a sparrow in thy hand is better than a
thousand sparrows flying ; and poverty which gathers is better
54. O my son ! let not a word issue from thy mouth till thoii
hast taken counsel with thy heart. And stand not betwixt persons
quarrelling, because from a bad word there comes a quarrel, and
from a quarrel there comes war, and from war there comes fighting,
and thou wilt be forced to bear witness ; but run from thence and
rest thyself
56. my son ! hate not thy first friend, for the second one
may not last. f. 87 a
after a little while thou shalt be his neighbour, and him who
mocks thee do thou respect and honour and be beforehand with
him in greeting.
59. O my
son if water would stand still in heaven, and a
!
black crow become white, and myrrh grow sweet as honey, then
ignorant men and fools might understand and become wise.
60. my son ! if thou desire to be wise, restrain thy tongue
from lying, and thy hand from stealing, and thine eyes from
beholding evil; then thou wilt be called wise.
61. my son ! let the wise man beat thee with a rod, but let
not the fool anoint thee with sweet salve. Be humble in thy
turns out well, she will say, " My lord, make provision for me'' ; and
if it turns out ill, she will rate at him who was the cause of it.
satisfied and filled, and make no friend of the man whose hand is
Nadan all his goods, and the slaves, and the handmaidens, and the
horses, and the cattle, and everything else that he had possessed
and gained; and the power of bidding and of forbidding re-
house, and every now and then Haiqar went and paid his respects
to the king, and returned home. Now when Nadan perceived that
the power of bidding and of forbidding was in his own hand, he
despised the position of Haiqar and scoffed at him, and set about
blaming him whenever he appeared, saying, " My uncle HaiqEir is
the slaves and the handmaidens, and to sell the horses and the
FROM THE ARABIC 139
camels and be spendthrift with all that his uncle Haiqar had
owned.
And when Haiq&r saw that he had no compassion on his
servants nor on his household, he arose and chased him from his
house, and sent to inform the king that he had scattered his pos-
sessions and his provision.
And the king arose and called Nadan and said to him : "Whilst
Haiqar remains in health, no one shall rule over his goods nor over
his household, nor over his possessions.'' And the hand of Nadan
was lifted off from his uncle Haiq4r and from all his goods, and in
the meantime he went neither in nor out, nor did he greet him.
Thereupon HaiqS,r repented him of his toil with Nadan, his
And after a while Nadan turned it over in his mind, and wrote
a letter to Achish, son of Shah the Wise, king of Persia, saying
thus:
"Peace and health and might and honour from Sennacherib
king of Assyria and Nineveh, and from his vizier and his secretary .
Haiqar unto thee, O great king! Let there be peace between thee
and me. And when this letter reaches thee, if thou wilt arise
Then he went and wrote a letter likewise from the king to his
assemble all the soldiers who are with thee, and let them he
perfect in clothing me on the
and in numbers, and bring them to
fifth day in the plain of Nisrin, and when thou shalt see me there
coming towards thee, haste and make the army move against me
as an enemy who would fight with me, for I have with me the
ambassadors of Pharaoh king of Egypt, that they may see the
strength of our army and may fear us, for they are our enemies
and they hate us."
tale be true or not." Then Nadan arose on the fifth day and took
the king and the soldiers and the vizier, and they went to the desert
to the Plain of Nisrin. And the king looked, and lo ! Haiqar and
FROM THE ARABIC 141
the army were set in array. And when Haiq&r saw that the king
was there, he approached and signalled to the army to move as in
war and to fight in array against the king as it had been found in
the letter, he not knowing what a pit Nadan had digged for him.
And when the king saw the act of Haiqir he was seized with
anxiety and terror and perplexity, and was wroth with a great wrath.
And Nadan said to him, " Hast thou seen, my lord the king
what this wretch has done ? but be not thou wroth and be not
grieved nor pained, but go to thy house and sit on thy throne, and f. 90 a
I will bring Haiq^r to thee bound and chained with chains, and I
will chase away thine enemy from thee without toil."
rejoiceth in thee with great joy and thanks thee for having done
what he commanded thee. And now he hath sent me to thee
that thou may est dismiss the soldiers to their duties^ and come
thyself to him with thy hands bound behind thee, and thy feet
chained, that the ambassadors of Pharaoh may see this, and that
the king may be feared by them and by their king." Then
answered Haiqar and said, " To hear is to obey." And he arose
straightway and bound his hands behind him, and chained his
feet. And Nadan took him and went with him to the king. And
when Haiqar entered the king's presence he did obeisance before
him on the ground, and wished for power and perpetual life to the
king. Then said the king, " Haiqar, my Secretary, the Governor
of my affairs, my Chancellor, the ruler of my State, tell me what
evil have I done to thee that thou hast rewarded me by this ugly f. 90 b
deed." Then they shewed him the letters in his writing and with
his seal. And when Haiqfi.r saw this, his limbs trembled and
his tongue was tied at once, and he was unable to speak a
word from fear ; but he hung his head towards the earth and was
dumb. And when the king saw this, he felt certain that the thing
kill Haiqar, and to strike his neck with the sword outside of the
city. Then Nadan screamed and said, " Haiqar, black-face
what avails thee thy meditation or thy power in the doing of this
go, cleave the neck of Haiqar at the door of his house, and east
away his head from his body a hundred cubits." Then Haiqar knelt
before the king, and said, "Let my lord the king live for ever!
and if thou desire to slay me, let thy wish be [fulfilled] ; and I
know that I am not guilty, but the wicked man has to give an
account of his wickedness; nevertheless, my lord the king! I
f. 91 a beg of thee and of thy friendship, permit the swordsman to give
my body to my slaves, that they may bury me, and let thy slave
be thy sacrifice."
I took thee and hid thee in a certain place till the king's anger
subsided and he asked for thee And when I brought thee into
?
I did thee. And I know that the king will repent him about me
and will be wroth with a great wrath about my execution. For I
And cast away his head a hundred cubits from his body, and give
his body to my slaves that they may bury it. And thou shalt
have laid up a great treasure with me." And then the swordsman
did as Haiqar had commanded him, and he went to the king f. 92 a
wife let down to him in the hiding-place every week what sufficed
for him, and no one knew of it but herself And the story was
reported and repeated and spread abroad in every place of how
HaiqEir the Sage had been slain and was dead, and all the people of
that city mourned for him. And they wept and said: "Alas for
thee, O Haiqar ! and for thy learning and thy courtesy ! How sad
about thee and about thy knowledge ! Where can another like thee
'
But the king was repenting about Haiqar, and his repentance
availed him nought. Then he called for Nadan and said unto him,
" Go and take thy friends with thee and make a mourning and a
weeping for thy uncle Haiqfi.r, and lament for him as the custom
is, doing honour to his memory." But when Nadan, the foolish, the
ignorant, the hard-hearted, went to the house of his uncle, he
neither wept nor sorrowed nor wailed, but assembled heartless
144 HAIQAR AND NADAN
and dissolute people and set about eating and drinking. And
f. 92 b Nadan began to seize the maid-servants and the slaves belonging
to Haiqar, and bound them and tortured them and drubbed them
with a sore drubbing. And he did not respect the wife of his uncle,
she who had brought him up like her own boy, but wanted her to
fall into sin with him. But Haiqar had been cast into the hiding-
place, and he heard the weeping of his slaves and his neighbours,
and he praised the Most High God, the Merciful One, and gave
thanks, and he always prayed and besought the Most High God.
And the swordsman came from time to time to Haiqar whilst he was
in the midst of the hiding-place : and Haiqar came and entreated
him. And he comforted him and wished him deliverance.
And when the story was reported in other countries that
HaiqS.r the Sage had been slain, all the kings were grieved and
despised king Sennacherib, and they lamented over Haiqar the
solver of riddles. And when the king of Egypt had made sure
that Haiqar was slain, he arose straightway and wrote a letter to
king Sennacherib reminding him in it "of the peace and the health
f. 93 a and the might and the honour which we wish specially for thee,
his country, and read them the letter and said unto them, " Who
amongst you will go to Pharaoh king of Egypt and answer him
his questions ?" And they said unto him, " our lord the king!
1 I.e. taxes in kind, agricultural produce. For this rendering of the Arabic word
see Dozy vol. II p. 345.
FROM THE ARABIC 145
son, for he taught him all his wisdom and learning and knowledge.
Call him to thee, perchance he may untie this hard knot." Then
the king called Nadan and said unto him, " Look at this letter and
understand what is in it." And when Nadan read it, he said, "O
my lord ! who is able to build a castle between the heaven and
the earth ?
for thee ! how did I destroy thee ! and I listened to the talk of a
stupid, ignorant boy without knowledge, without religion, without
manliness. Ah ! and again Ah for myself who can give thee to
!
the king went on weeping night and day. Now when the swords-
man saw the wrath of the king and his sorrow for Haiqar, his
heart was softened towards him, and he approached into his
presence and said unto him: command thy servants "O my lord!
to cut off my head." Then said the king to him "Woe to thee, :
Abu Samik, what is thy fault ? " And the swordsman said unto
him, "0 my master every slave who acts contrary to the word of
!
L. A. T
146 haiqIr and NAD an
is safe and alive." And when the king heard that saying, he felt
sure of the matter, and his head swamS and he fainted from joy,
and he commanded [them] to bring [Haiqar]^. And he said to the
£. 94 b swordsman, " trusty servant ! if thy speech be true, I would fain
enrich thee, and exalt thy dignity above that of all thy friends." And
the swordsman went along rejoicing till he came to Haiq^r's house.
And he opened the door of the hiding-place, and went down and
found Haiqar sitting, praising God, and thanking Him. And he
shouted to him, saying, "0 Haiq&r, I bring the greatest of joy!
and happiness, and delight!" And Haiqar said unto him, "What
is the news, Abu Samik ? " And he told him all about Pharaoh
from the beginning to the end. Then he took him and went to
the king. And when the king looked at him, and saw him in a
state of want, and that his hair had grown long like the wild beasts'
and his nails like the claws of an eagle, and that his body was dirty
with dust, and the colour of his face had changed and faded and
was now like ashes. And when the king saw him he sorrowed
over him and rose at once and embraced him and kissed him, and
wept over him and said " Praise be to God who hath brought
: !
Then said Haiqar to the king, "Let my lord the king live for
ever ! These be the deeds of the children of the world. I have
But go to the warm bath, and shave thy head, and cut thy nails,
and change thy clothes, and amuse thyself for the space of forty
days, that thou mayest do good to thyself and improve thy condition
and the colour of thy face may come back to thee." Then the king
stripped off his costly robe, and put it on Haiq4r, and Haiq^r
thanked God and did obeisance to the king, and departed to his
dwelling glad and happy, praising the Most High God. And the
people of his household rejoiced with him, and his friends and
every one who heard that he was alive rejoiced also.
And he did as the king commanded him, and took a rest for
forty days. Then he dressed himself in his gayest dress, and went
riding to the king, with his slaves behind him and before him,
rejoicing and delighted. But when Nadan his sister's son per-
ceived what was happening, fear took hold of him and terror, and
he was perplexed, not knowing what to do. And when HaiqS,r saw
it he entered into the king's presence and greeted him, and he
returned the greeting, and made him sit down at his side, saying f. 95 b
to him, " my darling Haiqar ! look at these letters which the king
of Egypt sent to us, after he had heard that thou wast slain.
They have provoked us and overcome us, and many of the people of
our country have fled to Egypt for fear of the taxes that the king
of Egypt has sent to demand from us." Then Haiq8,r took the
letter and read it and understood all its contents. Then he said
to the king, " Be not wroth, my lord ! I will go to Egypt, and I
will return the answers to Pharaoh, and I will display this letter
to him, and I will reply to him about the taxes, and I will send
back all those who have run away ; and I will put thy enemies to
shame with the help of the Most High God, and for the happiness
of thy kingdom." And when the king heard this speech from
Haiqar he rejoiced with a great joy, and his heart was expanded
148 HAIQAR AND NAD AN
and he shewed him favour. And Haiq&r said unto the king:
" Grant me a delay of forty days that I may consider this question
and manage it." And the king permitted this. And Haiqar went
f. 96 a to his dwelling, and he commanded the huntsmen to capture two
young eaglets for him, and they captured them and brought them
to him : and he commanded the weavers of ropes to weave two
cables of cotton for him, each of them two thousand cubits long, and
he had the carpenters brought and ordered them to make two
great boxes, and they did this. Then he took two little lads,
and spent every day sacrificing lambs and feeding the eagles
and the boys, and making the boys ride on the backs of the eagles,
and he bound them with a firm knot, and tied the cable to the
feet of the eagles, and let them soar upwards little by little every
day, to a distance of ten cubits, till they grew accustomed and
were educated to it ; and they rose all the length of the rope till
they reached the sky; the boys being on their backs. Then he
drew them to himself.
And when Haiqar saw that his desire was fulfilled he charged
the boys that when they were borne aloft to the sky they were to
shout, saying, "Bring us clay and stone, that we may build a castle
for king Pharaoh, for we are idle.'' And Haiqar was never done
training them and exercising them till they had reached the
utmost possible point (of skill). Then leaving them he went to
the king and said to him, "0 my lord! the work is finished
and he tied them and let them off into the air all the length of
the ropes, and they began to shout as Haiqar had taught them.
Then he drew them to himself and put them in their places. And
the king and those who were with him wondered with a great
wonder : and the king kissed Haiqar between his eyes and said to
and took his troops and his army and the young men and the
eagles, and went towards the dwellings of Egypt; and when he
had arrived, he turned towards the country of the king. And
when the people of Egypt knew that Seimacherib had sent a man
of his Privy Council to talk with Pharaoh and to answer his
questions, they carried the news to king Pharaoh, and he sent a
party of his Privy Councillors to bring him before him^. And he
came and entered into the presence of Pharaoh, and did obeisance
to him as it is fitting to do to kings. And he said unto him "0 my :
lord the king ! Sennacherib the king hails thee with abundance of
peace and might, and honour ; and he has sent me, who am one of
his slaves, that I may answer thee thy questions, and may fulfil all
thy desire : for thou hast sent to seek from my lord the king a f. 97 a
man who will build thee a castle between the heaven and the earth.
And I by the help of the Most High God and thy noble favour
and the power of my lord the king will build [it] for thee as thou
desirest. But, my lord the king what thou hast said
! in it
about the taxes of Egypt for three years —now the stability of a
ant of the ants of king Sennacherib." And Pharaoh said unto him,
" Had thy lord no one of higher dignity than thee, that he has sent
with provender, meat, and drink, and all that he needed. And
f. 97 b when it was finished three days afterwards Pharaoh clothed him-
self in purple and red and sat on his throne, and all his viziers and
the magnates of his kingdom were standing with their hands crossed,
their feet close together, and their heads bowed. And Pharaoh
sent to fetch Abiqam, and when he was presented to him, he did
obeisance before him, and kissed the ground in front of him^
And king Pharaoh said unto him, "0 Abiqim, whom am I like ? and
the nobles of my kingdom, to whom are they like ? " And HaiqS.r
said unto him, " my lord the king ! thou art like the idol Bel, and
the nobles of thy kingdom are like his servants." He said unto
him, " Go, and come back hither to-morrow." So Haiqar went as
whom are they like ? " And he said, " my lord ! thou art like the
month of April, and thy armies are like its flowers." And when
1 Literally "between bis bands." ^ Qr a dress completely white.
FROM THE ARABIC 151
the king heard it he rejoiced with a great joy, and said, "
Abiqam ! the first time thou didst compare me to the idol Bel,
and my nobles to his servants. And the second time thou didst
compare me to the sun, and my nobles to the sun-beams. And
the third time thou didst compare me to the moon, and my nobles t. 98 b
to the planets and the stars, and the fourth time thou didst com-
pare me to the month of April, and my nobles to its flowers. But
now, Abiq&m ! tell me, thy lord, king Sennacherib, whom is he
like ? and his nobles, to whom are they like ? " And Haiq&r shouted
with a loud voice and said :
" Be it far from me to make mention of
my lord the king and thou seated on thy throne. But get up on
thy feet that I may tell thee whom my lord the king is like and
to whom his nobles are like."
And Pharaoh was perplexed by the freedom of his tongue and
his boldness in answering. Then Pharaoh arose from his throne, and
stood before Haiqar, and said unto him, " Tell me now, that I may
perceive whom thy lord the king is like, and his nobles, to whom
they are like." And HaiqS-r said unto him :
" My lord is the God
of heaven, and his nobles are the lightnings and the thunder ; and
when he wills, the winds blow and the rain falls. And he com-
mands the thunder, and it lightens and rains, and he holds the
sun, and it gives not its light, and the moon and the stars, and they
circle not. And he commands the tempests, and it blows and the
rain falls, and it tramples on April and destroys its flowers and its
houses."
And when Pharaoh heard this speech, he was greatly perplexed
and was wroth with a great wrath, and said unto him :
" O man ! f. 99 a
And he told him the truth. " I am Haiqar the scribe, greatest
And he said unto him, "Thou hast told the truth in this
saying. But we have heard of Haiq&r, that king Sennacherib
has slain him, yet thou dost seem to be alive and well." And
-Haiqar said unto him, " Yes, so it was, but praise be to God, Who
152 HAIQAR AND NADAN
be killed, and he believed the word of profligate men, but the Lord
delivered me, and blessed is he who trusteth in Him."
And Pharaoh said unto Haiqar, " Go, and to-morrow be thou
here, and tell me a word that I have never heard from my nobles
nor from the people of my kingdom and my country." And Haiqar
went to his dwelliug, and wrote a letter saying in it on this wise :
king of Egypt.
" Peace be to thee, my brother ! and what we make known
to thee by this is that a brother has need of his brother, and kings
of each other, and [my] hope from thee is that thou wouldst lend
f. 99 b me nine hundred talents of gold, for I need it for the victualling of
some of the soldiers, that I may spend [it] upon them. And after
a little while I will send it thee." Then he folded the letter, and
presented it on the morrow to Pharaoh. And when he saw it, he
was perplexed and said unto him, " Verily I have never heard any-
thing like this language from any one." Then Haiqar said unto
him, " Truly this is a debt which thou owest to my lord the king."
the whole city assembled, that they might see what Haiqar would
do.
Then Haiqar let the eagles out of the boxes, and tied the
FROM THE ARABIC 153
young men on their backs i, and tied the ropes to the eagles'
feet, and let them go in the air. And they soared upwards, till
they remained between heaven and earth. And the boys began
to shout, saying, " Bring bricks, bring clay, that we may build the
king's castle, for we are standing idle !
that distance ?
" And Haiqir said unto him, "0 my lord how shall !
we build a castle in the air? and if my lord the king were here,
he would have built several castles in a single day." And Pharaoh
said unto him, " Go, Haiqar, to thy dwelling, and rest, for we f. 100 b
have given up^ building the castle, and to-morrow come to me."
Then Haiqar went to his dwelling and on the morrow he
appeared before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said, "0 Haiqar,
what news is there of the horse of thy lord ? for when he neighs
in the country of Assyria and Nineveh, and our mares hear his
voice, they cast their young." And when Haiqar heard this speech
he went and took a cat, and bound her and began to flog her with
a violent flogging till the Egyptians heard it and they went and
told the king about it. And Pharaoh sent to fetch HaiqEir, and
said unto him, " O Haiq8,r, wherefore dost thou flog thus and beat
that dumb beast ?
" And Haiqar said unto him, " my lord the
king ! verily she has done an ugly deed to me, and has deserved
this drubbing and flogging, for my lord king Sennacherib had
given me a fine cock, and he had a strong true voice and knew the
hours of the day and the night. And the cat got up this very
night and cut off its head and went away, and because of this deed
I have treated her to this drubbing." And Pharaoh said unto him, f . loi a
" O Haiqar, I see from all this that thou art growing old and art
L. A. U
154 haiqAr and nadan
And Haiqar said unto him, " my lord ! if there were such a
distance between Egypt and Nineveh, how could thy mares hear
when my lord the king's horse neighs and cast their young ? and
how could the voice of the horse reach to Egypt ?
And when Pharaoh heard that, he knew that Haiq4r had
answered his questions. And Pharaoh said, " Haiq&r, I want thee
to make me ropes of the sea-sand." And Haiqar said unto him,
" O my lord the king ! order them to bring me a rope out of the
treasury that I may make one like it." Then HaiqS,r went to the
back of the house, and bored holes in the rough shore of the sea,
and took a handful of sand in his hand, sea-sand, and when the
sun rose, and penetrated into the holes, he spread the sand in the
sun till it became as if woven like ropes. And Haiqar said,
" Command thy servants to take these ropes, and whenever thou
f. 101 b desirest it, I will weave thee (some) like them." And Pharaoh said,
" Haiqar, we have a millstone here and it has been broken, and I
want thee to sew it up." Then Haiqar looked at it, and found
another stone. And he said unto Pharaoh, "0 my lord! I am a
foreigner, and I have no tool for sewing. But I want thee to com-
mand thy faithful shoemakers to cut awls from this stone, that I may
sew that mill-stone." Then Pharaoh and all his nobles laughed.
And he said, " Blessed be the Most High God, who gave thee this
wit and knowledge." And when Pharaoh saw that Haiqar had
overcome him, and returned him his answers, he at once became
excited, and commanded them to collect for him three years' taxes,
and to bring them to Haiq4r. And he stripped off his robes and
put them upon Haiqiir, and his soldiers, and his servants, and gave
him the expenses of his journey. And he said unto him, " Go in
peace, strength of thy lord and pride of his Doctors ! have any
of the Sultans thy like? give my greetings to^ thy lord, king
Sennacherib, and say unto him how we have sent him gifts, for
Then Haiq4r arose, and kissed king Pharaoh's hands and kissed
the ground in front of him, and wished him strength and continu- f. 102 a
ance, and abundance in his treasury, and said unto him, " my lord
I desire from thee that not one of our countrymen may remain in
Egypt." And Pharaoh arose and sent heralds to proclaim in the
streets of Egypt that not one of the people of Assyria or Nineveh
should remain in the land of Egypt, but that they should go with
Haiqfl,r. Then Haiq^r went and took leave of king Pharaoh, and
journeyed, seeking the land of Assyria and Nineveh; and he had
some treasures and a great deal of wealth.
And when the news reached king Sennacherib that HaiqElr
was coming, he went out to meet him and rejoiced over him
exceedingly with great joy and embraced him and kissed him, and
said unto him, "Welcome home, kinsman! my brother Haiqar, the
strength of my kingdom, and pride of my realm ! Ask what thou
wouldst have from me, even if thou desirest the half of my kingdom
and of my Then said Haiqar unto him, "O my lord
possessions."
the king, live for ever Shew favour, my lord the king to Abu
! !
Samik in my stead, for my life was in the hands of God and in his."
Then said Sennacherib the king, " Honour be to thee, O my
beloved Haiq&r I will make the station of Abu Samik the
!
tribute, for it is all within the grasp of thy hand." And Haiqar
said: "Let the king live for ever! I desire nought but the safety
of my lord the king and the continuance of his greatness. my
lord ! what can I do with wealth and its like^ ? but if thou wilt
1 This is one of the oasea in which tj^ may have the sense of dergleichen.
156 HAIQAR AND NADAN
And Sennacherib the king said, "Take him, I have given him
to thee." And Haiqar took Nadan, his sister's son, and bound his
hands with chains of iron, and took him to his dwelling, and put a
heavy fetter on his feet, and tied it with a tight knot, and after
binding him thus he cast him into a dark room, beside the
retiring-place, and appointed Nebu-hal as sentinel over him and
f. 103 a commanded him to give him a loaf of bread and a little water
every day and whenever Haiqar went in or out he scolded Nadan,
;
2 And Nadan said, "For what cause art thou wroth with
me?"
And HaiqUr said unto him, " Because I brought thee up, and
taught thee, and gave thee honour and respect and made thee
great, and reared thee with the best of breeding, and seated thee
in my place that thou mightest be my heir in the world, and thou
didst treat me with killing and didst repay me with my ruin. But
the Lord knew that I was wronged, and He saved me from the
snare which thou hadst set for me, for the Lord healeth the
broken hearts and hindereth the envious and the haughty."
3 "0 my boy ! thou hast been to me like the scorpion which,
4 " O my boy ! thou art like the gazelle who was eating the roots
of the madder, and it said to her, 'Eat of me to-day and take thy
f. 103 b fill, and to-morrow they will tan thy hide in my roots.'
5 "0 my boy ! thou hast been to me like a man who saw his
comrade naked in the chilly time of winter; and he took cold
water and poured it upon him."
FROM THE ARABIC 157
up."
11 "0 my son ! thou hast been to me like a trap which was set
up on the dunghill, and there came a sparrow and found the trap
set up. And the sparrow said to the trap, What doest thou here?' '
" And the lark^ asked it also, What is the piece of wood that '
thou boldest ?
' Said the trap, '
That is a young oak-tree on which
I lean at the time of prayer.' Said the lark :
'
And what is that
thing in thy mouth ? ' Said the trap : 'That is bread and victuals
which I carry for all who come near tothe hungry and the poor
me.' Said the lark: 'Now then come forward and eat, for may I
and thy prayers, God accepteth from thee neither thy fast nor thy
prayer, and God will not perfect what is good concerning thee.'
12 a "0 my boy ! thou hast been to me like a weevil in the wheat,
f. 104 a for it does no good to anything, but spoils the wheat and gnaws
it."
12 6 "0 my boy! thou hast been like a man who sowed ten
measures of wheat, and when it was harvest time, he arose and
reaped it, and garnered it, and threshed it, and toiled over it
had got warm, it began to bark at them, and they chased it out
and beat it, that it might not bite them."
15 "O my son! thou hast been to me a pig who went into
like
the hot bath with people of quality, and when it came out of the
hot bath, it saw a filthy hole'' and it went down and wallowed
in it."
16 "0 my son ! thou hast been to me like the goat which joined
its comrades (on their way) to the sacrifice, and it was unable to
save itself."
17 "O my boy! the dog which is not fed from its hunting becomes
food for flies."
18 "0 my son! the hand which doth not labour and plough
and (which) is greedy and cunning shall be cut away from its
shoulder."
''
Gvre means a hollow place, sian is presumably from the Hebrew )1D to be
soft or sticky and the Syriac jaio limus, coenum. I can find no justification
for si&q, the reading of the MSS. used by Salhan and Lidzbarski.
FROM THE ARABIC 159
19 "0 my son! the eye in which light is not seen, the ravens B.M. ms.
^' ^^"^ ^
shall pick at it and pluck it out."
off thieving till we make for thee a chain of gold and feed thee
with sugar and almonds.' And she said, 'I am not forgetful of
the craft of my father and my mother.'
22 " my son ! thou hast been like the serpent riding on a
thorn-bush when he was in the midst of a river, and a wolf saw b.M. ms.
them and said, (' Mischief upon mischief, and let him who is more '-
23 " my boy I fed thee with good food and thou didst not feed
!
burying in the depth of the earth ; but the Lord took pity on me
and delivered me from thy cunning."
28 " my boy ! I wished thee well, and thou didst reward me
1 For this meaning of i^l^ cf. Lane, Book I, part 2, p. 598, Badger, p. 272.
J„^
160 HAIQAR AND NADAN
(witH) evil and hatefulness, and now I would fain tear out thine
eyes, and make thee food for dogs, and cut out thy tongue, and
take off thy head with the edge of the sword, and recompense
thee for thine abominable deeds."
And when Nadan heard this speech from his uncle Haiqar, he
said: "0 my uncle! deal with me according to thy knowledge,
and forgive me my sins, for who is there who hath sinned like me,
or who is there who forgives like thee ? Accept me, my uncle !
Now I will serve in thy house, and groom thy horses and sweep
up the dung of thy cattle, and feed thy sheep, for I am the wicked
and thou art the righteous I the guilty and thou the forgiving.''
:
29 And Haiq§,r said unto him, "0 my boy ! thou art like the tree
which was fruitless beside the water, and its master was fain to
cut it down, and it said to him, '
Remove me to another place, and
if I do not bear fruit, cut me down.' And its master said to it,
'
Thou being beside the water hast not borne fruit, how shalt thou
'
bear fruit when thou art in another place ?
f. 105 b 30 "0 my boy ! the old age of the eagle is better than the youth
of the crow."
31 "0 my boy they said
! to the wolf '
Keep away from the sheep
lest their dust should harm thee.' And the wolf said '
The dregs
of the sheep's milk^ are good for my eyes.'
33 " my boy ! they set the ass down at the table and he fell,
and began to roll himself in the dust, and one said, ' Let him roll
thou begettest a boy, call him thy son, and if thou rearest a boy,
"
call him thy slave.'
1 This is evidently a pun, ghabar meaning dust, and ghubr the last milk
in the udder.
- The animals mentioned by the wolf had names which doubtless began with
A, B. In the Arabic and English this is lost.
FROM THE ARABIC 161
" my boy ! he who doeth good shall meet with good ; and he
who doeth evil shall meet with evil, for the Lord requiteth a man
according to the measure of his work.''
" my boy what
! shall I say more to thee than these sayings ?
for the Lord knoweth what is hidden, and is acquainted with the
mysteries and the secrets. And He will requite thee and will
judge betwixt thee and me, and will recompense thee according to
thy desert."
And when Nadan heard that speech from his uncle Haiqar, he
swelledup immediately and became like a blown-out bladder, f. 106!
And his limbs swelled and his legs and his feet and his side, and
he was torn and his belly burst asunder and his entrails were
scattered, and he perished, and died. And his latter end was
destruction, and he went to hell. For he who digs a pit for his
brother shall fall into it ; and he who sets up traps shall be caught
in them. Thiswhat happened and (what) we found about the
is
tale of Haiq4r, and praise be to God for ever. Amen, and peace.
This chronicle is finished with the help of God, may He be exalted
Amen, Amen, Amen.
A. S. L.
L. A.
THE LEGEND OF AHIKAR, GREEK VERSION
fielv eirolet top ^acriXia. koX avTo<; Be Bid K.vKrjpov erepa rot?
^acrtXevcriv dvTeirep.'Trev, Sv dXvrwv p,ev6vT(ov, ^opovi o /SacriXei/?
Tore Sr) tov <f>iXov eTreSet^ev. ev tivi yap twv rd^cov /j,r)Sev6<;
£09 TovSe %a/oti' avTov ovk dveiXev, etSm? &>? fieTafieXi^a-ei Trore
7 aXXa crvyx^aipe •
(j)6ova>v yap creavTov /xaXXov /SXai/ret?. reap
oiKeTwv (TOV e-TTi/MeXov ha fjirj fiovov co? BecnroTr/v ae ^o^wvTai,
8 aXXa /cai to? evepyeTrjv alBwvTai. /j,r) al<j')(vvov fiavQaveiv dei to,
elf ijylrof a'ipeaOai,, Kai ovtw<; v-rrrjKoovi rot? iraialv elvai, co?
A(.(Tft)7ro?, Kal Tovi; re iralhat; Xa^wv Koi Toixi deroii^, dirrjpev elf
AiyvTTTov, TToWfj (^avTuaiq Kal So^t) tt/so? KaTdirKjrj^iv t&v eVet
KexpVM'^vo<;. NeKTei'a/Sft) S' dKovcra<i irapaje'^ovevai top Aio-coirov,
Kai Tov Kia-wTTOv ela-a')(6rivat, Ke\ev(ra<;, " tIvo fie elKa.^ei'i," eicreX-
OovTi (^rjcrlv, " AiacoTre, Kal tov? avv ep,oi;" Kal o?, " ae fxev rfkim
eapivw, rovf Be irept ere tovtok dipaioi'; ard-x^vcri." Kal 6 0aaiXev<s
aavfidaa^ avrov Kal Bwpoii ehe^idxraTo. tjj 8e fier iKeivrjv rjfjbepa
AlcrcoTToii jxeiBiaaa^ '^4^, " /J'V ev'^epw'i ovtw Trepl eKebvov, w ^aaiXev,
Xoyi^ov. TTpo? fiev jap ro vfi,eTepov hdva r] vficov ivcBeiKvvfievri
fieTa TOVTO e^eXdoav e^a X'ij? iroXeax; 6 /SacrtXev? iirl to ireBiov, c. xxix.
TTpo'i vtjro'; yevofievoi, " BoTe rjfiiv," icpcovovv, " Xidovt, BoTe Koviav,
BoTe ^vXa, Kal ToXXa twv irpo'i olKoBofifjv eiriTTfBeiwv." 6 Be
eprjaofiat Be ae, av Be fioi airoKpivaf Kai ^rfauv " euai fiob c. xxx.
166 THE LEGEND OF AHIKAE
'yovTai."
I Sic ! Quaere irilXas.
GREEK VERSION 167
TO) ^acrCket Kvicripa." el? Se rt? avr&v elire' " KeKevawfiev avrm
7rpo^\r]fji,aTa <f>pdcTai rifuv, irepl wv ovt e'iSofiev ovt f\Kov<Tap,ev"
apecTTOv ovv tovto tw Ne/icrei/a/ScS So^av, KaXiera^ tov A'iacoTrov
e<firj • " (l>pda-ov rjfuv, AiacoTre, irpo^Xyfia irepl ov ovt e'lhofjuev
hath made great, who (ate) the bread of my father thou wilt
seek, where thou canst find that old man Ahikar. He is a
wise secretary whether he can corrupt the country against us,
Assyria was directed (Nadin, thy son) whom thou hast ap-
pointed at the gate of the palace, he hath undone thee Then 9
(I treated thee) as a man treats his brother, and I hid thee from
the presence of (king Sennacherib); I said, I have killed him,
until at another time, and after yet many days I presented thee
before king Sennacherib, and caused thy sins to pass away before
him ; and no evil did he to thee. And with me also king
Sennacherib was well pleased, because I had preserved thee alive
and not slain thee. And now do thou also to me in the same lO
L. A. Y
170 TRANSLATION OF ARAMAIC TEXT
Ahikar other people (may come and) see the body of yonder
Ahikar, for the body of the young man, the eunuch whom I have
(with me, is like to the body of Ahikar) until our brother
Esarhaddon (shall have regret) over our brother and the heart of
Esarhaddon (shall change concerning him). I will give you much
treasure and the soul (of the officer) was content, with his two
11 companions. (And they said), Do as thou counsellest There-
upon they slew the aforementioned eunuch in the stead of
12 Ahikar At that time the report was made in the king's palace,
(and they said) to the king, He hath been slain. Thereupon
Nabusumiskun (brought me to his house) and he caused to be
supplied to me there (meat and drink), and said. Let these things
13 be furnished to my lord (Ahikar). Likewise he brought much
treasure (and gave it to his two companions). Thereupon Nabu-
sumiskun, the officer, went to Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria, and
informed him, saying, I went my way (as thou didst command me)
and I found Ahikar (walking in his vineyards), and I have put
him to death. And do thou, king, enquire of the two men
whom thou didst appoint. So spake he (to king Esarhaddon),
until that Esarhaddon believed his words.
(FEAGMENTS OF THE SAYINGS AND
PARABLES OF AHIKAR)
The son who is instructed and disciplined, and who has on his
feet
Watch carefully over thy njouth and make thy heart slow(?),
for the word spoken is like a bird, and he who utters it is like a
man without the craft of the mouth is mightier than the craft
of.
They deal with trees by fire, with flesh by a knife, and with
man
Let not thy heart rejoice in the multitude of children, and over cf.
their fewness (be not thou discouraged). S^ngs*"
merciful man, also his voice higher than ^°- ^*-
The king is as a is
is
on as the sun, and
costly ...... for them that walk
Of. Syr. (My son), I have lifted sand, and I have carried salt, hut there
45 46 etc.
'
' '
was nothing heavier than
I have lifted straw and handled the plough and there was
nothing lighter than the man who
(?)
dwells in ....
The panther met the goat, and it was naked ; And the panther
answered and said to the goat, Come and I will cover thee with
my skin.
The wolf came to the lambs (?) and I will be silent. The
lambs answered and said. Take what thou wantest from us
Nothing lies in a man's power, to lift up his foot or to set it
down
Cf. Syr. (Do not bend) thy bow and shoot an arrow at the upright, lest
was only certain that it was much earlier than the year 1500, the
date of the oldest Armenian MS., inasmuch as that MS. shewed
a text that must have had a long history. In the absence of
similar testimony I hesitated to regard as an echo of Ahikar
a passage of a late fifth century author, Lazar of Pharb, who,
writing of the heretics of his nation from Amid in Mesopotamia,
quotes the saying, " Her that married a swine, befits a bath of
sewer water." This recalls the adage No. 24 towards the end of
the Wisdom of Khikar :
" Son, they took the swine to the bath,
and he plunged into it, then rolled in the bog, saying : You wash
in your own, and I will in mine."
his work against heresies (ed. Venice, 1850, p. 61) has the following
And of a troth the word of the wise man was in no wise vainly
uttered to the effect that a slave who hearkens not through his ear,
follows :
"
The words of liars are fat as the quail, but they that are
foolish swallow them down."
A.D. 1614. The text omits the prelude and begins with the
precepts. In app. crit. 69.
canon.
Beside the above codices I have examined the British Museum
codices Orient. 4548, 4580, 6798, 6987 ; but found nothing new in
them.
There is a second Recension B of the Armenian version, best
often nearer to the Syriac than the other ; but it adds a mass of
precepts not to be paralleled in other versions. In the Venice
MS. 482 similarly some eight pages of aphorisms are added at
the end of those of the first series ; but I cannot say if they are
identical with those of Bodley, Arm. g. 9 : probably not, as the two
codices contain different recensions.
178 INTRODUCTION TO THE ARMENIAN AND TURKISH TEXTS
for it may be asked why I have printed only the first recension
and not the second. I have done so, because — in spite of the
superior closeness to the Syriac of the second recension towards
the close of the book —the order of aphorisms in the first recension
proves that it preserves better than the other the characteristics
of the archetype from which all the versions —^Armenian, Slavonic,
and Syriac — flow. The following tables illustrate this. In them
each particular aphorism is throughout indicated by its serial
same aphorism, a Roman one does not. Thus No. XVI of A is the
same aphorism as No. xxv of the Sjnriac series ; and in the later
An
A
ISO INTRODUCTION TO THE ARMENIAN AND TURKISH TEXTS
Glancing at the first of the above tables we note that the two
Armenian recensions agree in respect of the first 22 precepts ; and
they both agree with the Syriac in respect of these 22 ; though
the Syriac, after No. 23, suddenly jumps to 42. On the other
hand the Slavonic carries its agreement with Armenian A up to
and many other examples of the kind shew that the B Recension
of the Armenian is needful to supplement the other. The Syriac
often agrees closely with it, especially in the later part of the story.
indifferently.
1 On the other hand, Esarhaddon may have been ehminated from the Armenian
by an editor of the story who knew from Tobit and 2 Kings that Esarhaddon was
son and not father of Sennacherib. It is significant that the Syriac inverts the
order of the Aramaic papyrus. The Slavonic equally omits Esarhaddon. The loss
of the first letter of the name Nabusmaq in the Armenian may be due to a terminal
N of a Greek third person aorist preceding it, just as in Tobit xiv 10 is read
like him that shot his arrow up to heaven ; and he was not able to
reach thereto, but reaped the reward of his lawlessness, and the
arrow returned on his head. The Syriac has
My son, thou hast been to me like a man that threw a stone
at the heaven, and it did not reach the heaven ; but he incurred
sin against God.
The Arabic is similar.
The Slavonic has
Thou hast been to me, O my son, like a man who shot an
arrow up to heaven. The arrow certainly did not reach heaven,
but the man was guilty of a sin.
Here the Aramaic runs
" (Do not bend) thy bow and shoot an arrow at the upright,
lest God should and cause it to return on thyself.
" (Thou hast bent) thy bow and shot thy arrow at one who is
On the other hand, the Slavonic and Syriac agree in the same
184 INTRODUCTION TO THE ARMENIAN AND TURKISH TEXTS
'" =a
186 OLD TURKISH TEXT
dir, day man asliman. day san sani dggaysan. edkhasay tozgin
anung assisliqina)' day oosloolargay eoowookhlangun san qi Szgaylar
sani 6ggaylar
23. Au7loom hach qimsag . . . aman aytmay. da beyming
alnunay kob . . . bolmay, qi adamlar alnunay' magay sani
. . .
dir
bolmagaysan
47. Au7loom barmay sungarungay, qi ayakhunay basqay
bolmagay qi boynoongnoo da basqay :
92. Au7loom qimqi q6noo dir asi bilay earlkhluy goonash tir,
L. A. BB
194 OLD TURKISH TEXT
nay qi man bahatur man, day qachman day neqi sozlarman, akhul
oos bilay sozlar man, anu bilmas tir qi e61ookhoor anung qibiq
asli qach adamigay, qi toot qachdq kh61oondan ergay oorar day
61dooroor
Au7loom q6rsang dooshmanungnu qi eatup tur, san anuy
97.
122. Keldi aboosmak atlu bey day attuy mangi tiridir Khikar.
nechiq ayttuy barduy day keltirdi thazindan Khikami, da toor-
700ztoo khaunung alnunay, day Khikar dloochirayia alup ati :
y^iuUu iL
p p-uii£uii_npnup-huib uftUfiplrpfiJiuj uipoujjjiU
UpUnul^jt li_ uiunphuuiafuh liu jtifiLuip n-ufhp ultbjipltphJuMi
n» llini pi-p "["hP "P P'^l^ V"'IJ* "^ ii.nL.uinp np luii nbin,
sulsum est. Cod Edjm 2048 insulsitatem miratus tentat **»/« : l*-
ju.juAlr/J:
^ ttn t^ ujn-tuL.lri tut-h-ify i_ ^u/UauipIrn au/b apii II. mmmuI^ xariS 131
et 58.
^ Incipit codex Bod. ' p^^'b om Bod, 58.
^ Canon add : uil^u/u^^ utpuif "ci-li
f^*^ fuoul^jib
A, ^piuu/u ^iH '^f'j'p ^
autuiiuhnh ant-U* U- up unn-tuuapu* np tuiPp lilr%uin ana ^tuutuAtuilf U-
nuLaniuL^ abn_bina t
^niihuiq luiL. 1^
fi"}- """-^ hJuiuuibni Diunjibu l/nlri f J0«"^
nZf/i. ujiLli luliuinn Q-Pl'n njuibi 8
^^piibui^ Jji [pupp k^rt •P'"10p "P tnjf'lib'ii uptuy II fol. 2"
^
li'''tL ^*i^ '•
•e'"L:-
i\pn.tujli^ uiULiabh uiliaiL.pl^liU
p ^tup tinpO-ng hi_pna°f L.
^
k^V ^""i^ii'^-P-p-" Ven et Canon : om ^uiq^ Bod et 58.
2 4.^fr™ Ven.
' om Mntuiu'ulru et ^ Bod.
^Muinnt_i^u/bl^ ^hi^ hu 1^%^ ^UM%uiu£utn ^uip hiutP Ven : ^uiin,
ITChtt t *"^*" Ven tpf-Mui, np,f_n ^n ceteri, item infra bis •f-uA.
:
unpiuj uiunab'b :
uMuiiiiUitu quipuhp I
qUu,J.
\\pn.buiL up uiubp P^ ui pli pu u/bupui ^ L_ bu pi/iuu—
^UMatFunp in p p an<^u on z
2
u„l.u.-hf,p Ven. ' <,kirlTp Bod : <,hit'bbp Canon.
*
add !• f-ftuilrQ. ^uM Bod : "/> ij-pinlrii i^l^i_ 58.
6 nn ^uig np Bod : "/> ^"'g'' Canon : ^u,g np ceteri : item post figtu
ijh-bpu'li u^iuinni^tuif
q^ '
fi Jhh- n.iutniuunn^'b illtL. UfUiuinL.liunfii?'
I
Xpilhuiu puq tltuinuiniuiapli on uiinuVp qiuutu/L^nnpU
hiUqpni^uiuiifo on p puippU :
^ Ven om " : Bod add pwp^ post ^lri_ sed del vult : sic apud 58 ;
^ guiirnj Canon ;
jui^g" ceteri male.
^ inuiiiuip ipiiirp Ven mnLU ^Hikp Canon
: et 69 : om Bod ; mox
uiJlfli ex Canon traxi, quia Syriaco consonat.
^ wf.ujpp.tuu Bod, Canon, 69 : uiufMupu/i, Ven ; mox ^pn-uifuu Bod,
quod om Canon.
® ^tuJuipi.iuhlTunf^ na-^ni..pt on Ifuju* L. t^MUMup* Bod.
^ L- uMhtuhutuAM hpirulruif^u et om t^p Bod.
l"th"T"U 207
fl/"/ 7
juii- ^ k'"l_ ^b b °'^"b'^' ^" ^"'^ I't^V p"'-^
ah lulling dUn-pU, iuii_ ^ Unbanni^u Jh n dhrLlili on ^uAi
q^aiaiunu ItMnbjihu ftrn^ni^nifUMl* luit^ i^ nt^i up luuiuitupuja.
nuaa^ni^p-biuup. qpnL_bi :
•
i^f"/-
pu/b >"Y' int-uaoh
k "P^k P'uian lAiui p
lulru
Luiinuapp X
^
Bod uiq^uiuini.p-li et •fjyirn,_p-l!'.
^ iipuip[i pui'VL Bod : om p^"'pt Ven, Canon.
' Hoc adagium apud Bod
« inLJhpk om Bod. deest.
^ isfurya uiiuhuiti ju£i-rtLp% Bod.
208 hinuiuip u_ hthuUinni_p-hLji
nbiu :
ipiun_o :
qnnqpTj nn .
fp utbnuit
tf-ini-lu ^n (om ^n Bod) ceteri. Lege «u'i>"t-^efc cf. Syriac.
* ij.uin.'ii Canon. ^ add JfAip- ^mmnLugk ^^u.^mo'Si Canon
° Hie addit 58 denuo adagium 15.
L. A. DD
210 ftinuiinp IL. pi/uiuinni_p-hiSb
ulun^pu i
tApn-buib iuii_ l^
P'h f-nnuMuglib tipbiu on ^uiU P^ u.utub'li
iuilpni^ffj-[g <Cuii_^ujtnnt^
'lini^P-p f
IL. auinni^p-p » uiuiinni_ppu/huiilU uij mJilfUn-ppy U.
ilaijuhi^ Ven
'">
hplfj^^ip ceteri.
:
11
auitu[uiui-uni_p-lr%^ Bod, 58.
12 Jbqiug Bod ubi secuutur verba : i- "^ iu,ph,ug ijji. Secutus sum
Ven, 58.
^ Canon add uthf^puiunup-lf.
212 funuitnp U. pJujuinni^phLji
n.uMinuMpL uhuMU :
fn.p h-th-^ t
Ann^'b uanpnL.uiL :
^uiyni^pU u_ n\ ^uii^uiutiuU s
u£ut^uiu fuuiuupj^ f
uiilui^ p iftnpp^ li_ p Jl^&l^,
\f'- '
t '
^ UuM, ap ui 11
tj^PPB P ippnuP'tfli^ U. uibJinnup-lfb^
fol. ^^^ \\t^ t-p^^hp "P'h ^P*""" P" UibinlfU uipiup^ U. ^nukiua npus^u
atpnjp P^'hn-h" ^'^n""h Quiiu an.btui p utnp pupnuif "/^v
'Cutip'U hiP jufibuip ^tpuintuii^ 1^ jy^ <^tuubuji ^ jt
om Bod. 2
^ . . .
) om Bod 58 :
tb'"k Ven.
om Ven ; 58 sic habet •uJk'i- f «»* b "bv" b ^^/"' "••^•••-II
.
[ . . ]
8 om Ven. '
\Sb'^b-e"'Pb''^"J
^en.
8 /A^ '^-qjpy Ven : t^f-hil^ ^- Canon ceteri.
BTfua I
t'tk"'i""J 217
^ om Ven.
2 + ii^uMjp ^a 92.
add p^ihg ^ t Bod.
^
L. A. EE
gl c fupuiutp II. flJiiiuuinup-pLji
T'o^u .a^ \^i~ If" ui'bliuij [i >ltpuij IrplFUuii/ [iJ^i/, lifllltf •nuit^
fol.
92. 58 addit :
juMjlMd-tuiP uipputjiM ^ptmftujk-utn kiti^ o^umi iha-huitanu^
^
f,X U.JP J}. Ven Bod •T-'pir "^ 92. :
8
J.
^-Lnj Ven 92 [. ^^t-y cat.: + ^^^ 92. '
^^ '^uiLuiutup 92, puto recte. " ^-puAiu uhJlu'ug uiMuii [••fy 92.
220 punuiuip lu puuiutnnL.P'hiJb
fol. 8^° tru lun p ^hin itulp^ tt, nuibLiuip luuab plP uumLumu ^uiap
IL. UMlUUIlun^ up UUp il_ puia-UtUp^ Ifl_ l^p LuMpUML-UtaUMI UIU
g'~"g "(J'"^1'i"
tun_ ubUlipuippu] uipouilb luunptuuiuiblruila i
lujp np 2P'''V» «-
"Ul 1"n h'f'i_ '^uipQurtitiP uiiui ufUMuiutujiiui'bhx
pnuprpiSbii- II.
I^P^PP'l- ^" uiuuipanpax Vxpnlu ini^uii_ auiiu
LnihujQ aUuMpruiU f
lu luiiuiUBUJa apMnp<^nt_pnM U- aut^ p huj
p ijbpuii itnpipnj, IL. uno-i^p dba.niJa'h pi^pnijo iinpauu [U-pi fol. 9'
1 uihu — u»«_ fill om Bod. sed add Ven Canon, postea dat Bod
^ om ^uipgui'bbi_ 92.
^
Canon ^«- "ititpui muMntuhnLnk-aii^o utul/b i ujjq.u^^ap ajiph njq. ^^Ltuph
tnMuin ufuauwuiujuutuby U- UMjtf-iP 'hiuja'Ui'b np p tnbqp %npiut
4"
9 q.[igh Bod :
tt'^-e'^ 92 :
i-lip- Ven.
222 funuiuip U. pi/uiuinnuPpiJi
\m'- OipiUph
UtUiUM OtlDU^pp UMIL jtU^ UJjUuj^Uy IfL. ILlup&BlUI
..
10'° npui^u IL. unJnpl^pb, u_ Luiuioqp p Jhpujj uMpCrni_nnb%
llrp* U- Juinfiijs bli utn- pu» Iil_ pppU. utia. IrnlL^ lin^UJQ
s
o,jj Yen. ' om ^en.
b'bk'"P"{) 225
L. A. FF
22() funu/uip II. pUiUUU9ni^fffhi_b
fol. 11'° uijunab liU» uni^p^uibiLuib »p » ifhliu utc II. uhuini uuipuiiuL
DuiliDuip,
yf- uP'nuptuiu ufUn-hap u_ ifinp uin_ p-uitLutL_npti i_
^ atut^iuatrtu 92
Canon ^utihJ-tutP JmuMijunn^ ^nh ^ h P~bh**^3 llf" """^^ h-UMuh-ak
pifhj,
yf- ^P""^HI 3i' f-'"!'
'^uipbuiUbi p p-punijbu A,
p
ihnp "bnpui, L. uiubu Qltut p Uuiiuubiu piP bt_ ibiuilibili
luhaniauiblrb :
'CuJJP hJ' ubnuy oba, '^"{JP ["^ ["Pk"'!' ' "Ph nqnpjpu
liiid criuiuuinu ^»»> «- "1"^ ^"V '>"7 ^ ""c'hpy "- o-iuilujj
^ utuigfi Bod.
^
/"t Ven : luh-anLguAMh-tM Bod : + b. /^n- nMMiM£u% ^Mh-gni_gu/uls-'b
Canon.
' Canon : ^ nfuUMguip l^l- ^'l^P"l"l-'y^ ^" '• ^ •uukiT gUuij juip-nn.
tbutpuMg ...
^ Jbquij — ^•^^[•"i' om Ven. °
^"IL A- om Bod.
^ Ord aJuMp' 1"^ «#«y. 92.
^ i3-^*UuiJlib fLuttup phph^'b p utuAi 92,
' Canon melius ita : fl.
u'unLg^ l.p^'L ""I ^•"k" "tp^i'i-li- i-
JIuunLbp on upbuif^ 4^1> ^ J'"i^ ^"^ ^"'''"ib •"Ifr ^" i^p kp •nbuuiiib/^
lb"'
8 A_ J!tiuw% —pbpiub ^n om Ven. " upbp jiulu ^n Ven.
230 puniump IL. pauiuuinuPpiJi
lUM^nnbtMig aba :
^ om Ven.
^ nLr/mnLii ifP-tup-'L om Veil.
' Canon om f^l^pt' Dehinc ita : »»j_ tf-^ta^fip ^uip liuippiS. p-k
aoanup-hn an ninu fiiP ^.
^„.
5 ^"uL. Ven 92 : -{jun^p Bod.
*
^ Ven : l^ p 92: jtuw Bod : jtrmy 69 : e canonico restitui.
^ + n.tup3ilru£M 92. ^ n-UMpXhuMI^ nprLh-ul^ 92.
9 1-p[--a 'ipt.q. Ven 92 : npi^t" • fr'. Bod.
^^ om tyi^ Ven.
^^ Oanon ; nnuil^u na-mn^ H"P ^mpl^lih* muuI^ o UMn% hp-^ n^ ''PP
lli'ul~b np p Ah-n^pbif- ^ n* Lutp^pp luirtpa-lri pbA t
b'bk"'i""j 231
t"'p^db^
ftpn.tuili pnijlni np unpuu plipli nL.utl;^ LbpuiunL.p qjujinq 14
^
om luut S • Ven.
2
»^ juiq. qjiL Bod quern secutus sum. """t ikpp pi-^ j""iP'l^i_
u^ IfMuplipp ifjii- Ven 92.
' Canon ita [l/'?-^"'^ T-"*- uijuuf. I^. p-l^ inhq^ pifi^uipufj ^nuJ]
'"' P' •
F"i/9 P'^ t" it'^'t' ^"•'''•t'
* liuipk i^"t-l_ Ven 92 : /fc""- Bod. Apud MS. Canon dehinc
sequuutur Syriaco consona ita :
f\pf^'"i> *"" "y"'^t" ^«»/»^4/ p-t
liiunohii fi utiit^ hif^ b- J-MuniulMiM-h-ugh-u apU^ hiH "ill I""" UMbMut-nt^-^
%ni3'b- -onuiff n* lutynnlraia oto «#o- i
^ MMMju Ven et cm %itpMu nptux uMup %np 92* uyupu %npuM nptul^u (sic)
Bod.
'
P^«j Bod 92. ' iu.pph 92.
8 ^uipifii, 92. ' j^u Bod. i» ^nph-i. Bod.
" n(u)pu,i.^ Van 92 : uniJhp Bod. Corrige ni_un^
1^ + up n^ ^ o^oMwt 92. ^'
i"i/P om Bod.
" om 7-"«- 92 : 69 dat ^*i ^nph^tu.
232 funiuuip U. hJuiUuinL.p-fliJt
"'
"iinquiLii. luul^, tp-^ Duini/lrinn ^luahlflt uij" k[' "'
16 It/'T'^'"^
uiuuiupb iijMinniity Ph {^'"3 k'"3 i ^"^i">»
luu^ hpi^ n p-uja LbhiuiP LnuunL_nujbiiMii * op utnypii tustuau
fol. 13 '° ^ biuAkiii uiuiug uippubf kpi; oqpgjiti ui^^ jiiT nulffi Itl.
l\nii.hiuL afiinali
p puinu/bpuii iniupujli, u. Jiui utuubuii p 24
Jnunuiuili p-uiuuii^p uiubinJ ^ ilhud p alrpn. inL.uiqi^D II hu
dhnuMt .P"^ *
P^"1 P^^l ^ ^^ iinha ^"'J G-iun-UMi
luiuujl^u ^" :
1
ij„b..n^p^h.u% Ven 92. ' tf] + ^«/z_"^ Bod.
3
^u^it^^.. Ven :
vf^li-e" 92- ' t-^^ + t"-U13 92.
5 A A" Q?* ^ •Tuil.puim'b 92 : JtlLpuwb Veil.
°°^ ^^"-
Canon -^ i^t ."V"-"/""^'-
Jt..u.%^J^ ^
s
^^ „ „,
n „^„^ .„^ Canon. Van 92.
GG
L. A.
234 runuMinp II. huiuutnnuP'haJj
fol. 14'** 11/"/ "'7 "/' P"^PP ""*-"v p^^'PP ^""""v* "- "/' *^il'"i
^
92 add a-pk-aKuu pifihtuna U- funtutrwp L- uiiutnJhi^p-hti jupliiunuti
•J^*^ 'oAm i^a^sa >^^ .L^^ootA i.aipi' .Aiire' v>Aen.sa
5
^T=a(<'o OXik. ^_a^ ^Qcn t<Uocn r^&iai t^^scxs r<l3(<'
.CUxflo 0^.1
•
.Qa^lOxi
"
,\sn
I
^ \T.n rem
^%\« \
.col xsar^a r<l2)3CL*.i
•
cnx^^
1. 11
Pap. 54,
1.16
\m 13
• >i=
* Cod. ^jp v^
.^00 .i\nT, SAn^ »\^n .r^^L-tal cnl ^t-Mt^ ^:Uia3
L. A.
r fiW .-VMA Avlr^* VSSp^ ^r«'o .ioA»r<'A r^L^ia ^moaja
icn
^
An attempt has been made to erase this comparison, and two
words are almost entirely illegible. Mrs Lewis has, by the use of a
re-agent, brought up A»=3.
K'Av 00
^
i\i\-i .i rtf'A^.'i'iKL^ a\^Or«' .rtLia.^ rtLuHre' .r^^^Lsa
rdJK* r«l»).T .
~«^ >A iiop^o .,cnajsi9:tii Avlsb.o .tdAo
1
Cod. t<^iii.o3C. - Cod. T^iacoac
5.,&iUi ^aMM'w \r>^ajiocs..3..kXe\ .>.A .aco-. r^'Av.acnOJMO
8
.
^
>ii . ^A^.l ^.«i^.=a.l rC'^r^.VM rc'^^.io . ix^s-i.i ,an
*
.r<'-^A-=a .2>^:ajL. ^.xAos o^o .,cDO^t<' KLLm-s -^t- 9
rt -t g .V'W
'
>,i o.Ta.^O .,^h^^r^ t.l^^LK'o ,iuA ^x&ni.»i Pap.52,1.10;
^
p. 158, 1.33
Pap. 52, 1.2 vv^^aK* x^a .vv^kja rel^Lsq oos.t rtlsa.iSb. rC'.LjjL.a
Pap. 51,1. 6;
^_X.j_3 ^O..S3r<' i^A rtfJrS'o . iCaUoA-XiUO
'
re'-.O^'i&i 15
see p. 156, 1.11
Pap. 51, 1. 10 >.x.cLa\ J3Xa.io .«JL^ coA ^v^ v^;^ . ,AviSk ^xSL-fliLSa
p.' 158,1. 28
AA-sa ,iu& ^^^fia.93 v<i..sa.i3oo.a.* ^^o i.ajm )eT3 0^r<' Pap. 51
*^'
^*"'
..^o.^ rih\ w-..Tcm.\-i* AvJK'o .cD^v^o.iAo cniA^ptfA lo
c. IV. 1 A
.>.A \sir^ >.JV*i -1210 .rC-.^A.sa 7q.t.xiA ^->^r«' ^:»'Cn
1
Cod. ^^iT.i-^:< ^ Cod. -oi.iu'f^
r<'.a*r<' ^^^^i cniviL>^& ^iJr^ ijsa.io -.00=3 aa.jjK'Ai* 10 f- 70a
L. A.
r<io •. »^_rSLi.^no ^'Oi^cvu rtf
'
. sajAM vy.il ^x'sx^
VV. 4JL - ,V3 73
• r<l5aatt. T »3
L. rC. Mi.».?q pfAa.tt> wmz-Soj
VyJkX
10 rcA >.A.Sa ,i.3 fc^XJS A\.iOCO .s^:ti f<lAo •. rtlaL.\jW.1 of. Pap.
50, 1. 13
'
Cod. --'^•^— -iTca, where a -word seems to have dropped.
s
2 Cod. rilfl Cod. oji*a-
V»3 Thampc'.-I
•.
K'.ia.i.T rc'icu vyrC cnAu'sa*jio :r<'^^r<'.i r^i&OJC.=)
* Cod. om.
re'-sa.i-^ .vyJMa-^
\
^..tn
^
pc'AvJlso ^a^^ K^i ,v=> 53 Pap.
1. 13 b
55,
5
'. ^x.saK' .s *1,T.
15
'. ^CLSol .T& viiJ3J3.i\si\ cnA r^^»»h\ r€\ >i.=3 60
*. >cnO.S9To
Pap. 55,
1.2
46 oijEL< rdo :r<l^re^ iv^&cno «<ll\T^ ^-i-iiJ^ ,\s
: r<'^o.lJjO
•.
vvA-Vj •^-*>- vvi.is %^i.a-4*A jaO-OLJcit r«L\ ,\j=3 39
•.
v>JL'i=i pe'Avsiio- v>A ^aeai rfjsal.i .rdsatflosD ^ ptf'i'wT-ai
1 Cod. ^Juut:»A
f. 68a 28 . coarC-sao* tcocu^ftonn t<LiL»p<' i>.icn.i rdiaAr*" >t=
• onaxM-sn
: mill ^ai.i
-*
Sic Cod. : at lege 'i^»^^aso'i&^
&" cAr^o .rci-WCU 1.ML3 pS'Ooo rcli-a ^»A\3 ^*i^ ^-••' ri'isiM
'•
^^ua\n
:cn.nx
: A^rslsaA
'°
17 coAvxt-i-i Are*© ..^^u^ rfA vvrelLiao.T cn^ii!^=3 >»=
'
Cod. (7i=aou ' Ood. om.
L. A. fi
.v^a \ 1 ^a=a^ rti'^V.ss Aui.j=)ijL. » T^ .fc__5-i >i-s3 2
. . 71:^1^^ r<'oair<'
. . Afikr^^sq
.^^*l'«'*b. o\xua« iaMO .v^La vOaK'o vvxLl^. ^1 •ir*" ,irs 8" cf.Pap.54,
1.6
^ The text here is conflate : for the MS. has i<^\n-> o^fl
-^V"
11 A ^nr .rdalsa .i-si n.*> ^LsA oq.\ h\\snr^c\ ^xixo
of.Pap. 13 __.iA
^-^ cnAxiraa ~
,j:t.>cn .t<'_L».i-4\ vy^-sao.*
\
as*. ^r^iji*r<la
49,1.4
Pap. 49, .,vs>3 r<lA,\.:»i ,ca*Vw :»^o . coh\Sa.t.Br^ rdAl-Sa >i.VJC» »ia
Pap. 49,1. 15 vvCI.sjK' ^.tn Av.\^cni.T vyrS'.l r^L^~Ls3 ,"».» >.x3j ^ViA
on margin.
THE SYKIAC TEXT OF THE LEGEND OF AHIKAE
FROM A MS. IN THE UNIVEBSITY OP CAMBRIDGE
(Cod. Add. 2020 =8,)
Caetera desunt.
1. 3. The first letter is not legible. In the same line Cod. has
>cv£>a\ ex errore.
r T
1. i. Cod. .^I^^Ai^
1. 14. Cod. ^(7il Ti^icnT<i=n which appears to be a corruption of
the above.
K'K'
-^ = z t
m = »
JJ
NOTE TO THE ARABIC TEXT. f^
It will easily be seen that some words give room for divergence
of opinion, for example ^jI». or^l^, ^l». or ^l^, J-el^ or
^«l^. If in these and other instances I have ventured to differ
from Salhani, I trust it may be found that I am not wrong ^-
A few words and even sentences in the text of the MS. are
surrounded by a thin stroke. Another reading of these is in-
1 The most remarkable instance of this is in Salhani's book, page 10, line 5,
where for IjiJJl^i l^fufi <AXJ\ ^{ZtM I have read liiufi ^X«JI ii\Xe.\i
JIa9 .^*;We >iJ^i>! "^iJ ^*«JI (J* >**^' ^JJJ l^)^* kj^b Ij ,
31.
.ilij) 4*6it ijj|5 OjJ^ tit J13 j^JJt J^fiJI 0-5 jki j_5jJj L 34
^le a)t 0*5" -JjiJ' 'J^ 0-« >^' "^ J>5I cAit ^jj_s U 36
j^Sjj ..sUS^ irAXJl .jUj.». <Ola. ^< >»'iU^I IJJk O'i^ ^o-" W*
f. 106 a i3>*J5 A^^^^-^ 'Ss'^JJ A-SI-ij »cLae'\ C-^j^^ ^^aX^\ JjJt JuL«
Lf^J'i M 2«J »;«'» '*«i-'5) >Aa^ (^JJt O' •^<rv»- (^t (.5^^
j^s^ >«* »>• ^«*»J3 l£^^ ^'* '•** 'Wft*^ jy*!! f*-^**^ v^
aAJI ^;j^*j S;-j-J| ojjk cJl^ ^"iLJIj ^>*<l Ujt^ 4JU J^pJl3
jL* ^yj .iUl-J ^»\^ ^\.)Si\ *5!lL&U >i)ULa».lj ^i>c ^JLII juji
ai<el ^U. Lj Jlai ^"iUUl tjJk jU*». 4JU. ^><> ^1^0 »«^ Lo-JLi
_J^ <iO oJl£i IvaLmj t^t lf^».U0 jljl^s ^;i«J3l 4«i)jkC cl«Jl w^U.
.^,gy,iut.i ^IJ A^j-oj ajijJai ^oyjic ^*ij Ijij ^i l^oJi ^i^ j.iU)l
»< voUaJI ^t Jo-i i^JJt j-lj-ia^t JJU> ^^ Oj.-« C-JI ^^ Lt 15
•Nlj *jjJU aSIsjI Ja.ju i_^JJI j_y~ft:3l JLo ^ Oj-9 cot tjlj Lj 16
f.
B. M.
210a
C-JliJ L(.c_5ji* laakS jJ:)!^
^ S;.a,^
•
JJU w Ovo
j-J CJI i^jlIj
>Sr'
Ij
- 20
ai^ ^;i.. aij-Ji (jAJw g i^is ^_jai3 ajaHi ji« oji i^jlIj u 21
i^l "S)t J^U j_j-U*JI« Uji vOjLAJt i-AJI aJ Jlii -oU^a. ^':) f. 209b
^Jll-a '^^ ^iLaye "^ 4iU« J*Aj "^ dJJI JLj-^Uoj iLo^-o 3A IJjh ^^\^
UJi ak-;*. JU&I Sj-ic 6jj (J^—J' J-^ 0^« ^^^l ^5'*'-3 ^ 13b f-104a
1 Cod.
^j3 2 Ood. ^1 3 Cod. ^>-iUi)t
* Cod. ,^59
^>,ft*)l 5 Ood. iJJj-o
<c*9j 1*52 ^^1 A^it o-« J-»~i
"^ 0-« Jl'"«'^Jt<f Js» L*-'^
U 2
^^!iU CAjj
-*>* V>JI c>^^ j;iJl jji ^i^jil^ ^UJi ^ ^jtj3
\^ cJ'«i o^AJi i3j^ cJ^i i^jJi »jji)i jij.^ cJi ^JJ^^ (_, ,
4
^Jt UU;3 ljJ!»a. J.B.I ^L-;t J^< ^^J O^-o yiJ) ,_^jjj Lj 6
^ ^jil Sjic j..^j^i.Jlj wK!! wJi JIJ9 >J Ail ^JLfil j^j U 8
Jt^ju jU»». Jl*9 .^jLj i-cul j_^i «0'n! SjU^IS (JlA ^j^ i^jr-^
.»j* ^Ijij >iU«)t ^^Ju- XstsL- -^l* juj) U 01 ju-N)! ^_5Jt .iU^JI
XjJU J*»-j «-*siCI wJUj ^flJUi* o*-5»^ LS-* *^' '*^^' >^*
JJlsj >(». !-«**; v»>J J^ ^ AjJa*:! O' *r»'^ l-yU. Jl»->»i f. 103 a
j^bU <CAit v>jI »r^l«i ^jijj (^»-J^J Lo^^ jl**»- 0^^> ''^
^^ •
i aJ Oi*iy
1 Cod.
^ 4 Cod.
2
j_jJl
Cod. ^.w-^'^l
5 Cod. ajU-w
^ God, «U,:^t
f^\ jU*o. Jlsj .JUOI Jio JJlii J^jJt ^ ^». ,_j-.^l ^^»
f. 101b O' "^^ >*0'3 Oj—^1 J^Sj ^_j0.j jjfc.5». lifcU U jli-*- li Oyy
U) t_5Jbw Ij
O^*^ J^** ij^*-'^ >*^ «*»->* J^S»- j^Ja-^ lv'»<=*>5
^U (jt iLu> ^Jjl O^'5'j Abta-M ajt j_ja< y«Jj v^j* Jay
^J\ 0>*y >•*» ^'-' .ASjjtoJtj Ojl&JJI »JJk .ilfAjl ,JJJI i^jlUj
<u>ljk9 u^j"^' J*95 0>'y^ >^*^' t5>''i' J>**5 j'««»- >»l** J*UJ>^
Gjli« J-ytj 05*y >»^** -J-*^ LS* ''**' '^•*"^^ ti*' O-o ij^i '^ 0'
jj9 (^>i«jj j><l JJ>I i>» '«*»-l i^**J "i* O' >-" ^j'>^ ly i^i^!
U ^^t ^/lo >J3 ^^^3 >ej jlijD. ^^».l j_^ U».^3 -Jl^j
L. A. 4
jyjji v»t>9 j-fli». .*ill (_jS^ .*Jj.i« ^t jlS-a. ^J'a^ j^J^^ l_5-"
tyi««f (^^ '•'^•''^ tj^A». UjkXa»; tjuj ^fi»4ji Sj^i^^ JA.\^ {^j'^
jl«,>». ^^lOk-tj
0>'V^ Jiwjli .^Jbj ,ikL„i\ I^^Actj t3.<a«9 ^j;i,o^l
i_9;J(J
^ j ai. o ^. K c O^«0 <|J
O^J T-e^ '^'^ L5*^j' ^^ O^
CJtj <u>|j CsiJa ii JJJI tJA ^ aJsiaJI C^Ias J^AJtj jl^t OUU
ij AJt ^^ ,iUi 0!3*y £*-> ^-oJ^ J-fi-o 1^1 O'-"^' u-*" J-sy
(_j)
l^»^a^ (J' ^o-'j' >i*^' l^"**"* 1^ jl^JS^- *' J'** ^^a»-Jt Ji«J
(>« J^j AlAa. »JkJ 1^ J^lj jOi-«JI JaJ* ^Aft i>*»*5 whaSj vi.***)!
«jlai.s^ltj ijJlSJI U (^A t^ju-i Ij ^>CtJ jUstejj jLJj.5 l<f£9 ^;,..aS ,iU
f. 100a lu^a.^ >iL^.«Jt ^<a«j AS.C ^U.>i<ailj Sj5.a»>JI J^itj iOl^Afi^ j^*«^
\^aJJj[i >aJt i<^ ^vyA^tj Sjy^\ Ja.jI i.9 JWaJI 'ia^jj ejy^\
.^JJ\iaJ i>-*9l_s liJ*^ JULoJI j-ai ^^i^ ^». ^jJio IjjU iiJ t^U
jg^ \^^SLi^ .iU«Jt JU». |.ip \^^,OJj aA«a)I^ '^^J''^ (OLo^J jU«».
^>*) ^jtjw j-fl^i ,_j;». o*^' i^ J-* *) J^h ji**»- *T-^ '-**5J **^>^
J^U jLC;)! j^l^ .jJxoJI JPj ^'djJI *^i«** a'j' O^ "J^Pb JiJt^
J^>aJt ,>% ^J3 ^l.& ^o«J ;U«a> a) JU$ .SUaJW w>«l» O.Jl
0>«yi JUs .AjJ* iJCI ^>»J (_jj^U ,^ls«~5 w>jJt ^>03 ^>Ji5~A«,ll
ly^«-j U ii»X& j^ J5j UaU ^^^^ j^l j_jSj i^j-aot jl*ft». i^t
j&UaJI ua*rf 25^ ijl »i»a.Ui.t ^'^ <_^j jUaiS AjU ^-^J ^^-sjAJ f. 99b
c>-^3 v»v^ 05*>* u^5 u*^"* L-Arf' '>>~4j >n-»l *^3i (^^'
UjU Uji >£)UU)I jtj5 ^'^\ ^>*i«» ^Uj j-.fiL« >«~3^ O* AJ >^>*
w«>'^t J**^ *<^' .*=-«' »J-ie 1^)1 j-a»- Ul* A*JI ^U-j| j-a».l5
JIS3 A-i-C ^>*j jU-*. J^^ ja^^S: l^a.^ <l3tc ^>«5 AUI v«aiJt^i
Lj <U JU5 A*>la«j *«JU.I^ ^"iUJI AsAe iji A-Ae ^^Xw f. 95b
j^j^
j;,! jui^ j.,fto .ilU U*)l VLyl t^JJt ajl-jJI »Jk* j^jJI jJaJl jU-«.
^)l i'5ll<)t J&l k>» J-^' 'VJ^J lJ34c3 ^JJlr* >^»5 ..iUJXi 2«-
Jufcli Ui« xJJaj j-a^ >£U« wJU ,^1^ ^^s^-s-N))! ^^ ^j^ _^,^^
^ ^JUJU JLS Ajt ^ .iv«9 i-« j««»j vffir*^ ^!p5 *'^; j^««»-
vOjJ J.^9 (^^^ (J**^' J^*«s O^ft*^ >**•' '*j' ^ •'^'i I^Jam jU^
t^*JaJ j_j;jfc cjil Sj^ j^9 ^^ J£s J-Ji J-Al J3S ^1 ^.^^iJUxi^
a.Uai .tj^dj^ <UJI »1lo-fc.J t,^l»> 3AJ jIa^»> Ja>^ dPj ''jJ^IlKgll
aJ JUi .j-t-^b J-'J r-J^' ?-J^' "^ i^' •** jl*«»- Ij JIjj <U
«j-ajl UoAi >SU«JI jjjt ^^j »J«i.l .01 ^ .,_^UI ^\ Jjt ^>,
U'^J >*«J «H^3 O^J ^r*!/*!' L>« ?—'^ J^ »Ju«f».j j-«JI j^Ujl£s
AiJUj .CI^J ^llj aJ* j;,j.b. ^iU-oJ) »jJii LoAi oUJt Jto Jbi
^U-l AJt ^ ^^ Jjj ^JJI <UJ jL^^t Jllj aUp ,^iu3 aJLSj
f. 95a ^:o. iUj j^J C^j3 Ul UjJI i-^l^l JUsI «Jl& ju-n)! ^t JUUI
OjX.3 .A»».j j^^JJI 4JJI JjU >£)UH)Jt aJ JUJ .^aa. ^Ua-J* "iHi
>*^i L>**i>' 'J^ ve*«J3 ^j'*J >-!!-*J '^J**'-''' u^i .iJLdj JbU-j
Jam -cn^ ^W^W "^I <M ^oxi 0-« J^i tUa-l^^ aZj Ja\ ij
L. A. 3
O* Jib jn^ <*iJ^ lj>»-
OJ-*- O'i^ >e'!!^ ^«JI »<-i L«J_i
(>!b i^J^ ^ff^** b jU*». L> .iU;t« jL».t ^t ^^CLo jijjk<5 i5>*^
CUiSa Ca. jU*». O' LS^J-~*i O^ 3' «>* >J^ u-J "^*J O^-^
**>* t5*»^ ^"^3 *^** J^^i J^"^' t>»*^ >'^' «^i «iUjl Ji<-
f. 93 a Sj^o. AJ jjoiJ ^Ij^s-Nllj jJlJt^ voUJIj ^*il~JI IJ^A Ij-J j^Ju ..iUUt
^,0*S;».
J^j JjOft ^>-« ^_jJ J-^y .itU ^jtj uO)"i)l3 eliO-JI 0*J
^Jj£. 0>^J igs''^-* 2«*^ LJ-* ^^S •^*^-' I.5-' LS**=i LT*" J*^
^^.i ^)-o^ i>.4 jir> jakSn^ (^-^3 ,^i>J aC Uiuft Jvl^tj ^y^lS 'j!/«a»^
lJ..i,<,ai^<iJl3 O'i^lH'^lS
^Uwi^iJI^ l»5^t3 t.»Jij()t3 •M^UL»Jt A«». 4Jt
0^3 O^^ •'i'^J^ iS>*ift*^ «J^~»i t.j^b ^l)i ^i^ '^'^'^ C>^
^^.iek«3 jUL» »f.»\ Le^ i_iU.JI JjtAS >U)3 JkM .A«J&c Sji^S {^J^^
jU«^ ^1 ^'Oyo ^y^ 1^ juMJt^ elij j>iAJt cltel .lA^iAfi ljk».t liJ
lyau«<b <Ujjk«)t ^JIj Jjkt <uJLc t^».Uj 0U3 J.;:.i jkS ^««Sk!aJI
j)^if».\ ,iX3tM Juk.J i<«eMl <i) Jlij O'')^ |^>'^ -vSJ^I <^U(«^ '^1^
j^ 4A« ^ij ^;jl kp*U» J^ .UjJj Jio .Qj ^|S aJU. Sy^l ^*
«>mC cl^ ^«*~:> 31^3 «;>«Jx«i)l ^ (,5*^ O^ J^'^fi' ^b -^sJaaJI
l»5li (jA-aj
(j^-^J •j^*^3 >»>*y^' i^^ '*-^' J^s^j *;'>'^b
5 jl^aJI 6 ^JJI
^jjLfti uij .i)ji«ii.i o^s! ^/^ Aijj o^ Ob J*^"^' i^'i «5a»ji
f. 91a- ^Ju.». ,_jJa«J O' '-'W (Ji^ (iliStjk^ ^;><5 .iXio yf.j\ .SkX^\
oL>~Jtj ^X«JI jU». 13^3 l»l^ .2Jijjt^\^ •^i':}\ ^««»- O^tt. jk»3
91b >e5A^>;^-> i\)^ ^«J vO"^ ^-^ '^'«<->^ 3^' W Act,oa>)l ^>^ iau».U
f. tJ^^3
^Ae ^jkifrw «UJL«Jt (jl ^A*l Ulj ..ibtc cujiio t^JJt J-j<»j^.)l j&>)
•*» iV^' k>V' O'i'J O' >oJ*l9 ^jJa* lis*- (^^ Aij-'^ (^ **''"
.<u ^j^l U O.3U.0 >it<«». 4>^3 C«iac U.ji ^UoJt ^:> ^^» Jla)
^'> OVv^ cHj Ij^Ji^'ijI O-i^'^:)^' >*«^^ i>d>J^' wA;iX« 4Jt Cot
%^\ Jl3j jlA*»i w)l».ls^ -jiri^^ JU«3 ^o^jMfi <_)ly>e .^U^ll |«««JJ
tiU ^ J.55 ^^j3 j^^«J Vf^*' ^^*-3 tj>«' LS^JJ \^'^ jl*ft»-
.4a.,«>Jt JUAJI ».XyJ ^jlsiJ Col (_j;:». 9»>«a)I |>o ^fco Coii-o f. 90b
JiaJ iUi il^Jt jJiJ LjAi .c,^j u*)*^! (^ A-lj JjJsl Ait
Jj
jli*»i l>^ ljI >«b CJ>U ^lis i^t IJiA jLo Aie AJl j.^"^!
.iUn^Jt aJ JU» .iUo- ^>jl oLJt >^t ol^j Lfis!/" 'Jl9 -^iW-oJt
* Cod. AioJI^ s
Cod. JUiJ
^laLj ^«y«JiA.3 ,J-};JLw;,Jt j^>J9 O' ^^ •j'*«*- *J^ '^*' ***s! 0'>^
03*^3 M/^^ »>s 03^^ (.5*»' J-«" >^^ 03*;^ J-y lS""^
ly^J*^ V*^^ ^^1^ SjA.'N)) SJLyJI Jl».tj .JUUll ^jl^ y>0 Ijkfcl^
{.89b tr* ^ >*^' £*~' ^-"^ .»l::iiJi »ijiy aJI* ui^Sj .iUUi ,_jJlc
^O'^ ^:!'
J^3 l>''^>'''^ »«^ ^^^^ ii\^\^ rt.t..kc «^,Ai jla. 2)1.1^1
^1^)1 jia-Oj O^j^j ^1^^ ic't 13"'^^ ^' J^ i»U«3 "Njj .liU^JI lyjt
«A»-3 l«^ <iU«JI 914 OlcUO IjJjM^Jj •a^J'SkJI !>~^t.j O' >^-»s)' l^'l
4U«JI j.iaj l^JlJ .O'i^ «^ J**- !«^ UjI ^0^ "iJ >*3 A)l«yJI (j»
JIa9 l«Ja« IJsi^ J»U«l3 S/<aJtj ^AjJIj JbUJI »Jk».l jU«»- Ja^
a;) A^ .iU«ll ^«Xct J^jlj <C«j ,j^ «jj.Jai jU«». j)\ii nuUi \^j^i
jUs». ;»b U <*3 JlSj (j'i^ L5*A5 «2W-oJI >eU9 ASjj^ »liXi« i^j
«UU4 (_j)l6 "ilj A^sJ ,,5-*-6 "ib aJU j_yU t'jufcl JaL-iji %i ..^
jjl %M A»3u (^jXe jUs». ^jj >sUi JkI* . 4*U ^„L-j '^)^ g.>s«-J "^Jj
<ulft A^&lj »l#jj O'i^ W»J* *«" J^»«»" »«»»-l9 0'*jj>*^ l,^*~i
^jkSj aXti ,>-« ,_5-3:>;J9 >» (--'I* O' J>*d^ J^**^ aJU-j iHri^*
.JiiAJ <U^« j_j9 «u<J•^J ^U3 aAJI ^jjkS jl ^>£J5 .^^1* ^i.1
^l^jJl ,Ji4 «Jk« jLSiii .ai ly«.Lcu »;J^ 1^9 AJlsiJ J^i2> ijljU i<A^J
V>*" "^ A-iLVoJI 'iSA-JI ^LjI (_5-2-». v55*iJj J^i'j O-iij—^ ***:"
"^^ 0!5*/* 1^' jl**»- ^B-W Lfi/*"' ^'^-"J ^' V«*-^J i-JUa« "^j
J^-i J'-* i^-» Ob >«rii**'l «i*->.»J Ivil AiOj ^_JiO ji%^ j,Ao
***' tJ-" C55-^i Jp' Lt'' LS^J ^3^ "^'^' *-'L«3JI »Juk f. 89 a
B. M. MS.
f. 190 b
^i:iio -N) a*jjt5 .Mji\ ^^5 ijjt ^^i.j j-jU3i .^^j jjj^jt
Salh. p. 5 i>J*] *^< O^t O'iU ijt JU*':^!^ bUyi aJ,A jU^ ^ l^j JU
>iUi u»>« *iiWj AJt >»Aft Uj a*-*,*, bl-oyt ojjk U^ia. [jlS <UI <*JLi
(^j
.^o^-^ (.S"**^ ^J^P' O^ *•*« lJ^ t^' J^*ft»- 1,^3 J>-d>»~d '"*ih' i5»
J3A5J5 j-^i^-d U^l 3<suju^ lju_5 <uj« .^o^^ jl*«»- Jla^J JjJk »JL(
^>*^vB^ "5)5 ..iUU jjl^ j^yl*. >iX«i ^>e ioJXll s-ja^ "^ (VJ Ij 54
Ji^,;».lj (jUaX-JI >6ljk9 <t;* "t^Jka-^ <CX«o j^s fJ.JL^\ jJiXs\ |_Li Ij 57 f. 87 a
^>*^ »jl». Oy^ J^^ JM ^':) JjaC Oj^ ^9 ^jM -N) ^yU Lj 58
J^b L/^iWi i>«»'^'^ •t'Ij^J eVo-Jt ^9 wiij eUJ' (J^^ O' Ig^ W 59
Jju^ ^JkJCJt ^>« ^il-J Jsu<6l9 ^o«^ o>^5 O' *^Jl>' O' ls*^ ^ 60
^P«*JaJt v>AJO JaWJI .JUaj^j N)j SUuu >r«^^J' •^J^ fi> 15^ W 61
jAft)t |j~« f^\ OJ1A.5 Lo^ j-mo^I '^^-*^5 ^oaJa)! cJl^st |.;j L 49
,^jk;:yj ^>-aJI I** O"^ i>****J' ^^ »>• «^«-c' *-JiJt l<* j-ij Lj 44
^^j~c j->»-l <l-Ut &ilai>M .jo^^ cl^tj Qj^akJt ^^1 cliA)t C'^<e ^^ .^i'^l
»_iJI ijwo j->».t ^jiJ j__j9 jn>*»- jji-af5 jks*j j^ ^;j-« jiji,! >^«Jj3
iJ^ >*5 j**-^ (3jj O—* j*^' P~<-^ 3.lC>»«3 ^>jjjU» ^toc
j_^) jjl^ ^J5 Cy >*^' uJj-o ^J33 *—*«"• •*~'' C>* J'S'^' IS*" v^i
^j ^j"^! j_j-i u^iaijj ^JiJ-sJai A-aAJtj >ir*A»Ut O*^ .A«aij w«Ai
<rlii>jillj
^ov^ i^' k-V" U~«' "^"^ .A*ai-J "j) Aa-Sj J>\j£ J)J^ ^-^• l-j) 33 B. M. Mi
oju ^>oj JaI». J.»».I O^^ 3b ^«*^ A*.^^^ a^J (>< (J'i'f. 86 a
LS*'^
V O*^ -^rjl* C-Jt^ <tl.ftlwt >iU-o Jil Jay ,S3dJu^\ tit i^i, Ij 22
.>^Ut JAfi Ji«j5 a^JI i»bj Ji«3 ,^-^t ^2 Jajj J;L«j ^jlLuj
<^v^3 «^M* JjH)*! O' J^9 *Jib -JiJ-^' (>« >^l -tu-ol |_5ii Ij 24
f. 85 a J** JkS AJ*i) ^»v*^ «-JjJI .^ai-X»wjS i)>l*X> >i>JjJt^ ojj "sj ij L 26
J>jS~i k>«5 S-JaaJt C>5«o (_^^^t Oj^ U^-o A,^!^ 4^1 ^Zlj (^
•J**- J^ J'^^i^ ^-iW^-J »>** J^J^i "mi^'ii
ij=^\£=>
^;^ Jv ^«J3 -ilj Jj3 j-iJ aili>«JI Oi^ 'i ^s^ ^. 28
B. M. MS.
,
^
(.Jl«siJI isbl Ca>j ^>« ^^UiJI Oj*j| Ol^ ^-^^^^
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